The Missouri Department of Transportation is planning a bridge replacement project for an I-29 bridge to begin in April.

According to a MoDOT press release, the Nodaway River Bridge was built in 1966 over the southbound lanes of I-29 at the border of Holt and Andrew counties.

Today, more than 6,000 cars and trucks make their way across the span each day, adding to the wear and tear on the bridge’s surface, also known as the bridge deck.

Contractors from Emery Sapp and Sons, working with MoDOT, plan to replace the bridge deck. The first step drivers will see is the construction of crossover lanes in the median just north and south of the bridge. This will allow contractors to replace the bridge deck without closing the road and detouring traffic several miles around the work. Construction on the crossovers will begin in mid- to late April. The old bridge deck will then be removed and a new bridge deck will be poured. The contractor expects to reopen the bridge to southbound traffic at the end of October.

During construction, traffic on I-29 will be head-to-head, one lane in each direction, in the northbound lanes. Traffic is planned to move head-to-head in mid-May.

All schedules are weather dependent and subject to change.