By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Interstate 29 north of St. Joseph remains closed as does Highway 59 south of St. Joseph as the Missouri Department of Transportation assesses the damage done to area roads and bridges.

Assistant District Maintenance Engineer, Jennifer Sardigal, says some roads and bridges might need repair once the floodwaters covering them recede.

“There have been some roadways that have been affected and some of the asphalt is coming apart and then we do have a couple of bridges that are having some structural issues due to the flowing of the water,” Sardigal says.

Sardigal says MoDOT hopes to reopen I-29 to Rock Port by the end of this week. Reopening the interstate beyond that is not possible until floodwaters recede off the interstate in Iowa. It might take some time for Highway 59 and the Amelia Earhart Bridge into Atchison reopens.

Flooding has closed up to 30 roads in northwest Missouri.

Sardigal says some floodwater got underneath the pavement.

“In which case it causes the risk of the pavement falling in, which is kind of what’s happening at a couple of bridges where the water just came rushing in fast enough to erode away a bunch of the soil,” according to Sardigal.

Sardigal says the pavement and shoulder has to be assessed before a road can be re-opened.

Highway 59 remains under water and the water is deep.

“You can sort of see the center line all along the roadway between (Highway) 45 and the bridge going into Atchison, but it is still covered.” Sardigal says. “At this time, we cannot see any damage, but we won’t know for sure until the water recedes.”

Sardigal says pavement and shoulders must pass inspection before a road can be reopened.