Bridge work draws one more note of caution for holiday weekend

Eastbound traffic slows to a congested crawl as vehicles approach the U.S. 54/63 Missouri River Bridge during afternoon rush hour on Wednesday, May 4, 2016.
Eastbound traffic slows to a congested crawl as vehicles approach the U.S. 54/63 Missouri River Bridge during afternoon rush hour on Wednesday, May 4, 2016.

With the first major holiday weekend starting today, MoDOT is reminding travelers they will encounter some traffic delays due to the closure of the westbound U.S. 54/63 bridge over the Missouri River in Jefferson City.

The bridge closed in May for about four months for repainting, and traffic is diverted to the eastbound bridge.

MoDOT officials report the closure has gone smoothly, but remind travelers to continue to avoid peak travel times if possible, especially with Lake of the Ozarks traffic expected to pick up beginning with the Memorial Day holiday. Motorists should expect extra traffic heading west on the bridge on Friday afternoons and east on Sunday afternoons, as well as Monday holidays.

MoDOT crews have modified signal timing, installed additional signage and tweaked the lane closures to keep traffic moving as quickly as possible.

MoDOT is offering several tools to help drivers stay informed about the closure:

Traffic cameras: There are four cameras on the project website, modot.org/central/MORiverBridgeJC.htm, showing live traffic conditions on and near the bridges. The cameras are located on the east and west sides of the bridges, at the U.S. 50/Missouri Boulevard interchange and at Missouri Boulevard west of Stadium.

Traveler information map: Located at modot.org, the map provides a variety of tools to help drivers see current traffic conditions on the bridge, including incidents, real-time traffic flow and traffic cameras.

Incidents: Vehicle crashes and other incidents are noted on the map, which will inform drivers that the road is closed, to expect delays or that delays are possible.

Real-time traffic flow: The map also shows real-time traffic flow, with green showing traffic is moving normally, yellow indicating that traffic is moving at a medium rate and red meaning traffic is moving slowly.

Text alerts: Those wanting to receive text alerts regarding the bridge project can sign up at modot.org/eupdate. The Missouri River Bridge option is located under the Central District heading.

Email updates: MoDOT will provide periodic updates on the project's progress to email subscribers. Visit modot.org/central to sign up for this option.

Carpooling links: MoDOT's website offers links to carpooling resources that help link people who want to carpool. For more information, visit modot.org/services/carpools/CarpoolConnections.htm.

24-hour toll-free number: MoDOT's hotline, 888-275-6636, is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. Callers can speak with a customer service representative to get the latest traffic information.

Project website: Information about the project is updated regularly and can be found at modot.org/central.