The I-70 Rocheport Bridge Project is a new bridge over the Missouri River, connecting Cooper County, MO and Boone County, MO, and replacing the previous bridge, built in 1960. The new bridge consists of twin 3,120-ft-long bridges. The bridges are a multi-span structure of five weathering steel plate girders spans over the Missouri River and 10 pre-stressed concrete girder approach spans over the Overton Bottoms. Lunda’s project definition provides 3 each 12 ft. lanes, 8 ft. inside shoulder and 12 ft. outside shoulders in each direction across both bridge structures. Added value within the project cap provides additional lanes in both directions (total 3 lanes in each direction) from the Route BB Bridge at the eastern end to the UPRR bridges at the western project limits. Both structures are 58’ -8” wide which will accommodate 2 lanes in each direction in the event re-decking or maintenance operations would require closure of either structure. The new bridge structures have been designed to a 100-year service life expectancy.

Lunda’s project approach significantly reduces wetland impacts and the duration that the existing bridge structure needed to remain in service. By constructing only the westbound half of the new structure to the north of the existing bridge, wetland impacts were reduced by 13.6 acres over the original full-offset concept design. As a result of this approach, we limited the amount of fill being introduced into the wetlands, reduced risks associated with settlement of scour-hole fills and maintaining more than 50% of the I-70 alignment on existing roadway fills. The Lunda Team committed to shifting all traffic onto the new westbound structure in 2023, resulting in the existing through truss bridge being decommissioned 1.5 years sooner than if the entire new structure was constructed offline.

With the safety of the new bridge being a primary concern for MoDOT, we placed an emphasis on roadway geometry, transitions, shoulder widths, and enhanced driving surface textures, as well as providing technology based pavement monitoring systems to improve safety through an advance notification system.

The Route BB Bridge is also completely reconstructed as a two-span structure with integral abutments providing a minimum 16-ft 6-inch clearance, mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) abutments, and a clear width opening to provide three 12-ft-wide lanes in each direction as part of the project scope.