The Providence Road bridge over Interstate 70 will be demolished Friday, beginning a five-month traffic disruption that continues the six-year MoDOT Improve I-70 project across the state.
Beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, both directions of I-70 will narrow to a single lane while construction crews take down the existing bridge on Providence and the adjacent pedestrian bridge over the interstate. The demolition work is expected to continue through Sunday morning.
During portions of the work, drivers on I-70 will be directed up and over the Providence Road exit ramps before reentering the interstate, similar to the way traffic was managed during the recent St. Charles Road bridge demolition project, said Spencer Robinson, project director of the Rocheport-to-Columbia stretch of the Missouri Department of Transportation’s highway expansion.
Once the debris is cleared, I-70 will reopen to two lanes in each direction by 9 a.m. Sunday, a traffic pattern that is expected to last through October. During that period, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians will not be able to cross I-70 at the location.
The westbound I-70 off-ramp to Providence Road will remain closed for approximately four months because of heavy shoulder deterioration and instability. Other ramps at the interchange will reopen after the demolition weekend, though MoDOT expects short-term closures this summer as crews rebuild the remaining ramps and install bridge girders.
Robinson said some ramps may be closed for about 30 days during later phases of the construction. MoDOT also expects additional overnight traffic shifts while bridge components are installed.
The project will also affect pedestrians and cyclists. Robinson described the Providence crossing as one of Columbia’s busier nonmotorized crossings over the interstate and said signed detours will direct users toward alternate crossings during construction.
This interchange replacement is one of a series of major projects tied to the Improve I-70 work between Rocheport and Columbia. The Providence Road bridge carries roughly 17,000 vehicles per day on average during the school year, Spencer said.
When built, a new bridge will be taller and longer to accommodate the expanded interstate below as the state adds a third lane in each direction between the Missouri River and U.S. 63.
Robinson said additional impacts are expected later during the construction season at the Route J/O interchange, west of Midway as construction continues down this corridor.
At the eastern edge of Columbia, the St. Charles Bridge was torn down April 12 and will remain closed through the end of September. In total, 70 bridges will be demolished statewide for the highway expansion.
The $441 million Rocheport-to-Columbia portion will add a third lane of travel in each direction along the 14 miles of I-70 from the Missouri River Bridge at Rocheport to U.S. 63 in Columbia. Construction is scheduled for completion in late 2029.
The overall plan is to rehabilitate and add a third lane on nearly 200 miles of I-70 from Blue Springs to Wentzville. Statewide program completion is anticipated by the end of 2030.
