Plans for a painting and repair project on the westbound Missouri River Bridge were on view Wednesday at a Department of Transportation public meeting.
The westbound side of the bridge, which carries U.S. 54/63, will close for four months in the spring and summer. The $8.4 million project will likely kick off in April, when temperatures are right for painting.
The eastbound bridge will remain open for drivers going both directions. Traffic will be divide with a concrete barrier, restricting each side to two narrow lanes.
Project Manager Mike Dusenberg said the bridge acts as a major thoroughfare in and out of Jefferson City, carrying around 28,000 vehicles per day in each direction. Most are commuters coming from outside the city for work.
Mike Schupp, an area engineer for MoDOT, said restricted lanes and reduced speed limits mean those commuters should plan for longer rush hour delays during the lane closure.
The eastbound on-ramp to U.S. 54 at McCarty Street will also be closed during this time, as well as the two Main Street exits, those closest to the Capitol.
While the westbound lanes will only be closed for four months, the project could stretch until June 2017. In addition to new paint, the bridge will undergo minor joint repairs. The paint is expected to last 50 years, but Schupp said the bridge deck will likely need attention sooner.
"We try to fund more critical needs," Schupp said of highly trafficked bridges like the Missouri River Bridge.
"They have to be maintained so you don't have structural issues later."