The improvement project on Hwy. 21 in Jefferson County that started last year is on target to finish this fall, said Stephen O’Connor, Missouri Department of Transportation area engineer.
The bridge rehabilitation and pavement resurfacing project covers about 11 miles, from the Meramec River on the north end of the project to Schenk Road near Hwy. M in Otto on the south end.
“It’s about a $28 million project,” O’Connor said. “The contractor is N.B. West. It involves resurfacing, bridge rehabilitation and pavement repairs.”
He said 17 bridges are involved, along with Hwy. 21 road resurfacing.
Work also includes guardrail upgrades on and near the bridges.
“What they’ve done already is some bridge rehab,” O’Connor said. “To do that, you have to close one lane and work on the other one. When that side gets done, you go over to the other side. A majority of the bridges have been done. The bridge work will continue the rest of this summer.”
He said the lane closures can affect traffic flow, but plans call for at least one lane to remain open during the work.
“There is one lane going each direction at different points, not the entire length (of the project),” O’Connor said. “There are no closures.”
He said the final stage of the project will focus on finishing resurfacing the 11-mile stretch of Hwy. 21.
“Once they get all the bridge work done, they’ll come in for resurfacing,” O’Connor said. “The bottom lift (layer) is a leveling course that gets rid of imperfections. Then, they do the top lift, which is the riding surface.
“They’ll start on the lower lifts southbound. That will complete the lower lift work. The northbound lanes lower lift work was completed last year.”
O’Connor said the last part of the project will be laying down the riding surface.
“They’ll do the riding surface on the northbound and southbound lanes later this year,” he said. “That will complete the project.”