Missouri Bridge Project Gets Federal Stimulus Money

The first infrastructure project to move forward under the federal economic stimulus package has been announced. The project, a replacement bridge in Miller County near Tuscumbia, Mo., has been approved for construction as a top priority for the state of Missouri at a cost of $8.5 million, which will be funded by the stimulus plan, according to a press release from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).

The new 1,000-foot-long, 28-foot-wide steel bridge will replace the existing 75-year-old Osage River Bridge, which is the same length and just 20 feet wide. The bridge crosses a Missouri River tributary near the middle of the state, where the average traffic is more than 1,000 cars per day. However, it has been off limits to trucks since 2007 because of poor structural condition.

The new bridge, built by general contractor APAC of Kansas City, Mo., will use 395 tons of structural steel for the bridge’s 570-foot main span. The steel is scheduled to be delivered by AISC Member DeLong’s Inc. this fall.