Drivers should look for alternate routes when the state Route 83 bridge over the U.S. Route 65 south of Warsaw is closed beginning the week of June 14, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Contractor crews will remove the bridge deck/driving surface and replace it with a new surface. In addition, a new guardrail will be installed at the ends of the bridge.
The bridge is expected to remain closed until mid-September to complete the work. The current structure was built in 1976 and is experiencing increasing deterioration. Approximately 2,300 vehicles cross the bridge daily.
All lanes of Route 83 will be closed beginning the week of June 14. Drivers can expect nighttime lane closures and traffic delays on Route 65 when the contractor is removing the bridge deck/driving surface over Route 65. Drivers will have access to entrances on either end of the bridge, but will not be able to drive through the work zone.
No detour will be signed, so drivers are urged to find alternate routes around the project. Signs and message boards will alert drivers to the bridge closing.
The contract also includes removing and replacing the bridge deck/driving surface on the Benton County Route H bridge over Cole Camp Creek near Edmondson. Work on Route H will begin after completion of the Route 83 bridge, likely in the fall. Weather and/or scheduling conflicts could alter the work schedule.
The prime contractor is Hartman and Company Inc., of Springfield. The total project cost is $1.98 million and the contract completion date is Dec. 1.
