MoDOT to replace Gene Field, Riverside Road bridges in spring 2027

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- St. Joseph drivers will see two of the city's most heavily trafficked bridges overhauled and replaced with entirely new structures in 2027, with traffic impacts potentially lasting up to six months.

The Gene Field Road bridge over Interstate 29 and the Riverside/Route AC bridge over U.S Route 36 will be demolished and replaced by the Missouri Department of Transportation, two projects totalling $16.4 million.

The aging bridges are more than 50 years old and reaching their intended lifespans, with both requiring regular maintenance, including a bridge-deck repair project planned for the Gene Field bridge this month.

"It's time to get them replaced," said Shannon Kusilek, district design engineer with MoDOT's Northwest District. "Both of those bridges should be under construction in the spring of 2027."

He said the goal is to have both bridges replaced by October or November of that year, an estimated six-to-eight-month timeframe depending on the project. The Gene Field Road project is expected to start once school is out in late May, while the Riverside project could begin as early as March or April.

At $5.7 million, the new Gene Field bridge will be nearly identical to the current structure but will feature new sidewalks, unlike the current bridge, providing stronger connections for pedestrians and cyclists.

The current Gene Field Road bridge was constructed back in 1962.

“I think it's gonna be in the same grade and maybe a little bit wider for a little bit easier movements and things like that," Kusilek said. "The Riverside Road AC bridge is going to be a little bit bigger project that's going to be a complete replacement as well."

At $10.7 million, the Riverside Road bridge project comes with double the budget compared to Gene Field, driven by a notable change in the addition of two new lanes, pushing it from a three-lane to a five-lane bridge.

On and off-ramps to U.S. Route 36 will also be improved in the process of construction. The Riverside Road bridge was opened back in 1973.

“We’ve got to get that bridge replaced. As you know, it's been closed several times over the years for repairs. That just needs to be replaced as soon as we can get it done," he said.

The change from three to five lanes is necessary to accommodate a significant increase in traffic since the bridge first opened. The area has seen significant business, commercial and industrial growth in the time since.

Improvements are also necessary to lay the groundwork for future improvements alongside Riverside Road, including potentially widening it.

"We have looked at improvements starting at Mitchell going all the way down as far as Pickett in the future and what future plans would accommodate that five lane structure," he said. “Traffic's grown a lot in that area."

While a full traffic control plan with detours hasn't been finalized yet, Kusilek said the department is likely to use Craig Parkway as the main detour for the Riverside/Route AC project.

“We're going to use Craig Parkway that's to the west of Route AC as part of our detour plan. So that's going to be our main detour for that project," he said. "With Gene Field, we'll have to go through that and come up with some alternate routes to get to school that following fall."

The two projects mark the latest push by the state over the last five to six years to overhaul many of its bridges when it was revealed that Missouri had more than 900 rated in "poor" condition. Of the states 24,538 bridges, 9,663 were reportedly in need of repair.

Kusilek said they're roughly halfway done with the comprehensive bridge project for the Northwest District, often partnering with the Northeast District in the process.

“We ran a recent evaluation of our bridges. And in our district, for the first time in a long time, I believe we have under 100 bridges that are considered to be in poor condition. And we had as many as over 200 a few years ago."

Despite the department's success, many bridges continue to deteriorate quickly and significant work remains.

"We're getting ahead, but at some point they're going to start catching up. So it's a never ending battle," he said.