Willow Springs, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has announced that work has been delayed on the bridge over Harrison Branch on Route O, Reynolds County. Weather permitting, contractor crews with L. Krupp Construction, Inc., of Ellisville, Mo. will begin work on, on October 19.

The bridge will be temporarily closed as crews work to replace the bridge deck. According to MoDOT Bridge Engineer Ed Hess, work is expected to proceed quickly. "Once the bridge closes, the contract states work must be complete and the bridge reopened within 50 days," Hess said. "The shortened closure time will lessen the impact to the traveling public."

Hess said that the Safe and Sound team at MoDOT is sensitive to the impact that will be felt by those who travel Route O during the closure. "We have already been in touch with many key stakeholders to discuss school bus routes, emergency response and more. Anyone with questions regarding this project is welcome to contact the department," he said. Changeable message boards will be placed near the bridge to remind motorists of the closure.

The bridge over Harrison Branch has been identified as one among 802 across the state with critical improvement needs under the MoDOT Safe & Sound bridge improvement program. These 802 bridges will be repaired or replaced within five years.

A web page has been developed to house the latest information regarding the Safe & Sound program. To view this information, visit www.modot.org/southcentral and click on the Safe & Sound 800 Better Bridges icon.

To access the web site, visit www.modot.org/southcentral and then click on the Safe & Sound icon. For additional information regarding this or other transportation-related topics, call the MoDOT Customer Service Center, toll-free, at 1-888-ASK MoDOT (275-6636). Customers also may email the center at d9csc@modot.mo.gov.

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