MoDOT plans completion of Gene Field Road bridge replacement by July 2026
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Thousands of St. Joseph drivers could be back on the Gene Field Road bridge by next summer as transportation officials prepare to move on a rapidly-accelerated plan in January to replace the closed bridge.
Construction crews and the Missouri Department of Transportation are now scheduled to begin work on replacing the heavily-trafficked Gene Field Road bridge over Interstate 29 in late January after the bridge was struck by an oversized load on Nov. 10, forcing it to shutdown.
MoDOT Northwest Project Manager Timothy Miner said the initial hope was the bridge could be reopened to one lane of traffic, but a subsequent evaluation showed the collision was significant enough to cause one of its four main support girders to separate from the bridge deck, compromising its structural integrity.
Traffic data shows roughly 6,500 vehicles use the Gene Field Road bridge every day, a vital east-to-west corridor for residents. The closure has had a considerable impact on traffic volume along routes like Frederick Avenue.
"With the traffic that we're seeing now on Frederick and how things were flowing and how everything was working, we ended up getting this declared an emergency by the state, which allowed us to move it forward," Miner said during a public open house Wednesday.
The plan now -- weather permitting -- is to complete the 63-year-old bridge replacement project by July 1, 2026. The bridge was originally scheduled to be replaced in 2027 before the collision occurred.
"Our plan is to give a completion of July 1 to the contractor," Miner said. "I think with clear weather this bridge could probably get done in about four months. Weather permitting. However, we are starting in January."
Miner said the department was fortunate most of the pre-construction work had already been complete, including design work and stakeholder meetings, allowing them to accelerate the project in such a short timeframe outside of the normal construction season.
He also credited property owners for helping negotiate Right-of-Way acquisitions in just two weeks, a process that can sometimes take up to a year to complete.
Designs show the new bridge will be expanded slightly from 22 feet to 26 feet wide, including concrete barriers and new 5-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides, a boost for pedestrian safety.
"It'll be good for people to actually have the ability to cross on a sidewalk. It's not the lane of traffic," he said.
MoDOT provides upcoming detour map
The Missouri Department of Transportation held a public open house meeting Wednesday at its district offices to provide information and answer questions from the public.
The meeting included a map of planned detours over the course of the project.
Similar to the 2024 bridge rehabilitation project for Cook Road over Interstate 29, the highway will be shutdown at certain portions of the project, with detour routes planned for Interstate 229 and Route 36.
Demolition of the current bridge is expected to take one day.
