MODOT has closed the center section of the Missouri River Bridge at Boonville (Highways 5 and 40) for repairs this week.

An update from the Cooper County Emergency Management Agency says lane widths and times will vary this week:
Daytime Lane Drops time and lane widths: 5:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
• Southbound Lane will be restricted to 11 feet during the daytime lane drop time.
• Northbound Lane will be restricted to 15 feet during the daytime lane drop time.
• Large agricultural equipment or wide loads 15 feet to 12 feet wide needing to go Southbound can move across the bridge in the Northbound Lane during the daytime lane drop time with a police escort only.
• Northbound traffic 15 feet or less can move across the bridge without a police escort during the daytime lane drop time.

Nighttime Lane Drop time and lane widths: 5:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m.
• Southbound Lane will be restricted to 11 feet during the nighttime lane drop time; • Northbound Lane will be restricted to 11 feet during the nighttime lane drop time; • Larger agricultural equipment or wide loads are restricted to move across the bridge during the nighttime lane drop time for safety issues.

MODOT and its Contractor hope to have the center part done by the end of this week, weather permitting or no unforeseen delays. MODOT is aware of the inconvenience this work has caused to local farmers who need to move large equipment and are working with the Contractor to minimize the delay.

Originally MoDOT took into consideration harvest season when executing this contract, however, with unforeseen issues this has delayed progress. Updates on times and lane widths will be updated once work is moved to the western most side of the bridge.

At this point, anyone wanting to move wide loads or large machinery across the bridge will need to contact the Boonville Police Department at (660) 882-2727 to schedule a time to move these larger loads safely across the bridge during the daytime lane drop time only.