Friday, Feb. 10, 2012
MoDOT to delay Route B closure
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After working with the Archie School District to consider the safest schedule, the Missouri Department of Transportation will delay closure of State Route B east of Archie until after school is out in late May.
Closure of Route B bridge over the Grand River in Cass County had been scheduled for late this month to replace the 74-year-old structure. However, some buses serving the Archie School District would either have been re-routed on lengthy detours or would have crossed high-speed U.S. 71 traffic for about a month. Both MoDOT and school officials considered alternatives, and determined that the delay in starting the project would be best.
The Route B bridge is among five to close in Cass County this year. All bridge closures will be discussed at a meeting beginning 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Cass County Courthouse, 100 E. Wall, Harrisonville. The Route B structure was built in 1938 and carries approximately 1,130 vehicles per day. Once closed, the old structure will be removed and replaced with a wider, safer bridge. A signed detour will be in place to move motorists around the bridge closure using U.S. 71, M-7 Highway and State Route T, the safest routes around the closure.
The Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program began in 2009 and will replace or rehabilitate 802 of Missouri’s worst state bridges,159 in the Kansas City District. Currently, the district has finished 146 bridges. Five of the remaining 13 bridges will be done in Cass County.
