A stretch of Interstate 70 in west-Central Missouri is about to be a one-lane-in-each-direction road, for the summer.
Missouri's Transportation department on Monday will begin rehabilitating the I-70 bridges over the Blackwater River, near mile-marker 77 and just one mile west of the I-70/U.S. 65 interchange that connects travelers with Marshall to the north and Sedalia to the south.
That work, coupled with plans to resurface about 10 miles of the four-lane road between the Blackwater River and the Cooper County line near mile-marker 87, means I-70 will close one lane of the highway during the work.
MoDOT said in a Friday news release the westbound bridge work should be completed by mid-August, but the eastbound bridge won't be done until mid-September.
The release said the bridge closure "is a full 24/7 lane closure - but work will be performed during daytime hours."
The work will reduce the remaining open lanes to 12 feet wide and is expected to cause heavy congestion through the area.
As usual, all work is weather dependent.
MoDOT recommends motorists allow for extra travel time through the work zone and to prepare for heavy congestion.
The map shows no nearby alternatives.
The department didn't recommend this, but people living south of the Missouri River could avoid the I-70 construction problem by taking U.S. 50 west from Jefferson City, through California, Sedalia and Warrensburg.
MoDOT noted more than 26,000 vehicles travel the corridor daily, with about 40 percent of that as truck traffic - about 10,400 trucks daily.
Message boards will be updated with estimated travel times as they are available.
The project is under the direction of MoDOT's Kansas City District.
Travelers can get project updates at www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity/major_projects/I-70_Blackwater_Bridges.htm, or on the MoDOT Kansas City Facebook page.