Rocheport I-70 Missouri River Crossing

[roadman65]

I have seen that starting late in 2021, the 60 year old crossing between Boone and Cooper Counties will undergo a lengthy replacement project.
https://abc17news.com/news/boone/2020/11/09/modot-provides-update-on-i-70-rocheport-bridge-replacement-schedule-and-goals/

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/missouri-announces-prelim-plan-for-i-70-rocheport-bridge-job/50512

[The Ghostbuster]

Will this new bridge have additional traffic lanes added to it? Given how narrow the existing bridge is (https://www.google.com/maps/@38.959185,-92.5458115,3a,75y,57.75h,77.2t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s-iWSVkTVDBI8qd13sV9fqQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D-iWSVkTVDBI8qd13sV9fqQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D122.17828%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192), I think the new bridge should have full 10 ft. shoulders on both sides of the traffic lanes in both directions.

[kphoger]

What are the current requirements for new-construction bridges?  Are they still allowed to have inadequate shoulders?  I can't remember.

[skluth]

Official MODOT page

[Ned Weasel]

Kind of bittersweet because, in my opinion, that bridge is the highlight of driving I-70 across Missouri.

[edwaleni]

What are the current requirements for new-construction bridges?  Are they still allowed to have inadequate shoulders?  I can't remember.

Design won't be seen until June/July 2021 timeframe when the design/build proposals are unsealed.

Hopefully they will make the bridge architecturally significant. Design/Build typically is a rush to the lowest common denominator in bridge design. (read: low cost, boring)

[mvak36]

https://www.modot.org/node/22025

MoDOT Moves Ones Step Closer to Building a New I-70 Rocheport Bridge

JEFFERSON CITY — Following an extensive evaluation process, four qualified teams have been selected to compete for the contract to design and construct a new Missouri River Bridge on Interstate 70 near Rocheport.

The Missouri Department of Transportation has received Statements of Qualification from potential design-build teams for the Rocheport Bridge project.

"We are very pleased with the interest we received in working on the Rocheport Bridge project. The four short-listed teams are all very experienced and capable of producing a successful project,"  said Project Director Brandi Baldwin. "We look forward to moving forward in the process and selecting the final design-build team."

The following teams (in no particular order) were selected to further develop their proposals on the project:

• Traylor-Ames Joint Venture Team - Traylor Brothers, Inc.; Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.; Ames Construction, Inc.
• American Bridge/Garver Team - American Bridge Company; Garver, LLC; Hg Consult, Inc.; Terracon
• Rocheport Bridge Constructors - Massman Construction Company; HNTB Corporation; Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc.
• Lunda Team - Lunda Construction Co.; Parsons Transportation Group, Inc.; Dan Brown & Associates; Hugh Zeng United

There are still opportunities for additional consultants and subcontracting firms to be added to each team. A networking opportunity for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises will be offered this spring.

Design-build projects combine both the design and construction phases into one contract. The selected team completes the design and construction in parallel instead of in succession. MoDOT provides the project goals, budget and schedule, and the contractor team conducts the work. This technique has been known to significantly save time and money. For more information about design-build or to see other similar project across the state, visit www.modot.org/design-build-information

This $240 million project was made possible by the July 2019 award of a $81.2 million Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The project will replace the existing I-70 bridge as well as reconstruct the Route BB interchange just east of the bridge.

MoDOT has established design-build goals for the project. The contractor team will be selected using an apparent best-value process to determine the team who can best meet or beat the goals.  To view the full list of goals and project timeline visit www.modot.org/RocheportBridge.

MoDOT will issue the request for proposal later this month. Proposals will be due in June and the design-build team is expected to be selected in July, with construction beginning as early as later this year with completion by the end of 2024.

For more information or to sign up for updates on the I-70 Missouri River Bridge at Rocheport, please visit the project webpage at: www.modot.org/RocheportBridge

[bwana39]

It should be built with 4 12' lanes (2x2) with 10' outer shoulders and either 4 or 6' inner shoulders.  They might opt for 3x3 biut the shoulders should remain at 10' and 4 or 6'.

[skluth]

It should be built with 4 12' lanes (2x2) with 10' outer shoulders and either 4 or 6' inner shoulders.  They might opt for 3x3 biut the shoulders should remain at 10' and 4 or 6'.

MODOT still has a long term goal of widening I-70 either by making it at least six lanes across the state or a separate parallel truck highway of some sort. I think the parallel highway for trucks would be an insane waste of money and land. OTOH, six lanes across the state is both realistic and something that MODOT should be actively working, even if it's one short stretch rebuilt at a time. One stretch would be the Missouri River crossing at Rocheport where building a six lane bridge (minimum) should be a required objective. Even better would be six lanes with the ability to widen it to eight lanes.

[edwaleni]

It should be built with 4 12' lanes (2x2) with 10' outer shoulders and either 4 or 6' inner shoulders.  They might opt for 3x3 biut the shoulders should remain at 10' and 4 or 6'.

MODOT still has a long term goal of widening I-70 either by making it at least six lanes across the state or a separate parallel truck highway of some sort. I think the parallel highway for trucks would be an insane waste of money and land. OTOH, six lanes across the state is both realistic and something that MODOT should be actively working, even if it's one short stretch rebuilt at a time. One stretch would be the Missouri River crossing at Rocheport where building a six lane bridge (minimum) should be a required objective. Even better would be six lanes with the ability to widen it to eight lanes.

I can't see dedicated truck lanes across the state, but I could most definitely see some dedicated truck lanes where the grades are more challenging.

It would probably cost billions, but I-70 needs some flattening out in certain places. Too many up and downs. Not as bad as I-44 however.

[rte66man]

It should be built with 4 12' lanes (2x2) with 10' outer shoulders and either 4 or 6' inner shoulders.  They might opt for 3x3 biut the shoulders should remain at 10' and 4 or 6'.

MODOT still has a long term goal of widening I-70 either by making it at least six lanes across the state or a separate parallel truck highway of some sort. I think the parallel highway for trucks would be an insane waste of money and land. OTOH, six lanes across the state is both realistic and something that MODOT should be actively working, even if it's one short stretch rebuilt at a time. One stretch would be the Missouri River crossing at Rocheport where building a six lane bridge (minimum) should be a required objective. Even better would be six lanes with the ability to widen it to eight lanes.

I can't see dedicated truck lanes across the state, but I could most definitely see some dedicated truck lanes where the grades are more challenging.

It would probably cost billions, but I-70 needs some flattening out in certain places. Too many up and downs. Not as bad as I-44 however.

Many parts of 44 subsumed the 4-lane US66 in part or in total, especially between Lebanon and Rolla where 66 had been built on a new alignment from the original. Since much of that was done in the 40's and 50's, it makes sense they didn't flatten it out more. OK has the same problem with the Turner Turnpike between OKC and Tulsa.

[Plutonic Panda]

It should be built with 4 12' lanes (2x2) with 10' outer shoulders and either 4 or 6' inner shoulders.  They might opt for 3x3 biut the shoulders should remain at 10' and 4 or 6'.

MODOT still has a long term goal of widening I-70 either by making it at least six lanes across the state or a separate parallel truck highway of some sort. I think the parallel highway for trucks would be an insane waste of money and land. OTOH, six lanes across the state is both realistic and something that MODOT should be actively working, even if it's one short stretch rebuilt at a time. One stretch would be the Missouri River crossing at Rocheport where building a six lane bridge (minimum) should be a required objective. Even better would be six lanes with the ability to widen it to eight lanes.

I can't see dedicated truck lanes across the state, but I could most definitely see some dedicated truck lanes where the grades are more challenging.

It would probably cost billions, but I-70 needs some flattening out in certain places. Too many up and downs. Not as bad as I-44 however.

Many parts of 44 subsumed the 4-lane US66 in part or in total, especially between Lebanon and Rolla where 66 had been built on a new alignment from the original. Since much of that was done in the 40's and 50's, it makes sense they didn't flatten it out more. OK has the same problem with the Turner Turnpike between OKC and Tulsa.

Didn't they improve the grade of the portion from Tulsa to Bristol?

[rte66man]

It should be built with 4 12' lanes (2x2) with 10' outer shoulders and either 4 or 6' inner shoulders.  They might opt for 3x3 biut the shoulders should remain at 10' and 4 or 6'.

MODOT still has a long term goal of widening I-70 either by making it at least six lanes across the state or a separate parallel truck highway of some sort. I think the parallel highway for trucks would be an insane waste of money and land. OTOH, six lanes across the state is both realistic and something that MODOT should be actively working, even if it's one short stretch rebuilt at a time. One stretch would be the Missouri River crossing at Rocheport where building a six lane bridge (minimum) should be a required objective. Even better would be six lanes with the ability to widen it to eight lanes.

I can't see dedicated truck lanes across the state, but I could most definitely see some dedicated truck lanes where the grades are more challenging.

It would probably cost billions, but I-70 needs some flattening out in certain places. Too many up and downs. Not as bad as I-44 however.

Many parts of 44 subsumed the 4-lane US66 in part or in total, especially between Lebanon and Rolla where 66 had been built on a new alignment from the original. Since much of that was done in the 40's and 50's, it makes sense they didn't flatten it out more. OK has the same problem with the Turner Turnpike between OKC and Tulsa.

Didn't they improve the grade of the portion from Tulsa to Bristol Bristow?

FTFY

Not to any great degree that I could tell.

[Plutonic Panda]

It should be built with 4 12' lanes (2x2) with 10' outer shoulders and either 4 or 6' inner shoulders.  They might opt for 3x3 biut the shoulders should remain at 10' and 4 or 6'.

MODOT still has a long term goal of widening I-70 either by making it at least six lanes across the state or a separate parallel truck highway of some sort. I think the parallel highway for trucks would be an insane waste of money and land. OTOH, six lanes across the state is both realistic and something that MODOT should be actively working, even if it's one short stretch rebuilt at a time. One stretch would be the Missouri River crossing at Rocheport where building a six lane bridge (minimum) should be a required objective. Even better would be six lanes with the ability to widen it to eight lanes.

I can't see dedicated truck lanes across the state, but I could most definitely see some dedicated truck lanes where the grades are more challenging.

It would probably cost billions, but I-70 needs some flattening out in certain places. Too many up and downs. Not as bad as I-44 however.

Many parts of 44 subsumed the 4-lane US66 in part or in total, especially between Lebanon and Rolla where 66 had been built on a new alignment from the original. Since much of that was done in the 40's and 50's, it makes sense they didn't flatten it out more. OK has the same problem with the Turner Turnpike between OKC and Tulsa.

Didn't they improve the grade of the portion from Tulsa to Bristol Bristow?

FTFY

Not to any great degree that I could tell.

Thanks for the correction. Hmmm, shame. I thought that since the widened roadway to six lanes and came with an 80MPH speed limit they would have improved the grade changes.

[Plutonic Panda]

Update with a rendering:

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/modot-picks-design-build-contractor-for-new-i-70-bridge/53386

I know MODOT isn't flush with cash but would have been cool to see a unique design like a suspension bridge or something to spruce up the boring drive from KC to STL.

[Revive 755]

^ Or something with a slightly longer main span and less piers in the river for barges to hit.

[edwaleni]

Update with a rendering:

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/modot-picks-design-build-contractor-for-new-i-70-bridge/53386

I know MODOT isn't flush with cash but would have been cool to see a unique design like a suspension bridge or something to spruce up the boring drive from KC to STL.

Just another example of where design-build equals BORING.

Utility & cheap wins out over a small level of aesthetic.

[Plutonic Panda]

It definitely seems like one of the major interstates crossing the largest river in the country warrants a more unique bridge.

[SkyPesos]

Update with a rendering:

https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/modot-picks-design-build-contractor-for-new-i-70-bridge/53386

I know MODOT isn’t flush with cash but would have been cool to see a unique design like a suspension bridge or something to spruce up the boring drive from KC to STL.

Design looks boring to me. Yawn.

It's better than the new EB US 40/61 Missouri River bridge still imo, as it's at least uniform in the Rocheport example. Was really hoping for MoDOT to replicate the truss design of the WB span (former EB) onto the new EB span, but nope, it's pretty much an elongated generic highway overpass.

[kphoger]

Design looks boring to me. Yawn.

It's better than the new EB US 40/61 Missouri River bridge still imo, as it's at least uniform in the Rocheport example. Was really hoping for MoDOT to replicate the truss design of the WB span (former EB) onto the new EB span, but nope, it's pretty much an elongated generic highway overpass.

From what I gather from my bridge engineer friend, truss bridges are white elephants.  Nobody wants them because they're so costly to maintain.

[SkyPesos]

Design looks boring to me. Yawn.

It's better than the new EB US 40/61 Missouri River bridge still imo, as it's at least uniform in the Rocheport example. Was really hoping for MoDOT to replicate the truss design of the WB span (former EB) onto the new EB span, but nope, it's pretty much an elongated generic highway overpass.

From what I gather from my bridge engineer friend, truss bridges are white elephants.  Nobody wants them because they're so costly to maintain.

Looks like that could be the case from how many truss bridges I've seen get replaced with something more elegant like cable-stayed, or something more boring like the proposed Rocheport bridge here. Kind of wondering why truss bridges were so popular and frequently used when the interstate system was built back in the 60s and even before that, and like the cloverleaf, how it fell out of fashion today.

[kphoger]

If I remember correctly, engineers back then weren't sure if cable-stayed bridges were even appropriate for large spans such as major river crossings along Interstates.  That development has been more recent.

[Chris]

The U.S. has been a little behind with the construction of cable-stayed bridges. Many river crossings in Europe were built with cable-stayed bridges from the mid-1960s onward. The Rocheport Bridge is a little older, completed in 1960 so it was designed a few years before cable-stayed bridges became more common for such spans.

The Rocheport Bridge has a main span of 550 ft. For example the Rhine Bridge in Leverkusen, Germany is a cable-stayed bridge built in 1965. It has a nearly 1,000 ft span.

[edwaleni]

Design looks boring to me. Yawn.

It's better than the new EB US 40/61 Missouri River bridge still imo, as it's at least uniform in the Rocheport example. Was really hoping for MoDOT to replicate the truss design of the WB span (former EB) onto the new EB span, but nope, it's pretty much an elongated generic highway overpass.

From what I gather from my bridge engineer friend, truss bridges are white elephants.  Nobody wants them because they're so costly to maintain.

Looks like that could be the case from how many truss bridges I've seen get replaced with something more elegant like cable-stayed, or something more boring like the proposed Rocheport bridge here. Kind of wondering why truss bridges were so popular and frequently used when the interstate system was built back in the 60s and even before that, and like the cloverleaf, how it fell out of fashion today.

The technology in pre-stressed pre-formed concrete beams has come a long way. They are preferred because they hold up longer than steel truss or sections, don't need to be painted, handle/absorb seismic and road stresses better and the biggest part is that they are extremely cheap to fabricate to spec.

The limitation is that they can't span certain distances and still maintain some of the above properties. This is where a steel beam usually takes its place. But it has to be painted, inspected often and doesn't absorb stress as well.

As for why trusses were once popular and aren't anymore, is really about weight relative to the steel cross section. To get a bridge to distribute its weight properly, you would either have to build enourmous steel sections which then requires a large support pylon for the weight, or use a weaker steel and spread the stress more equally, which allows pylons that are smaller.

Today, steel is much stronger, but trusses require joints to flex those stresses. Those joints rust, crack and fail and need to be replaced. That explains the desire to move to cable stayed concrete.

[Plutonic Panda]

Video with some more details on the overall project:

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/modot-outlines-rocheport-bridge-plans/article_a495d396-fae1-11eb-bc43-6bbe10ee8137.html

After this it should be fairly simply to widen the rest of the interstate to 6 lanes between STL and KC, no?