At 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 28,, the Pettis County Commission, Seymour Construction and Anderson Engineering conducted a final inspection of the Springfork Bridge. After the inspection of the bridge was complete, it was determined the project was substantially complete and the road was ordered opened to traffic, effective immediately.

According to a press release, this bridge presented the County Commission with a unique challenge, as it was unexpectedly ordered closed on May 24, 2021, and at times was the only way out for a few affected residents.

Eastern Commissioner Israel Baeza highlighted that “as soon as our office was notified of the required closure, we immediately got to work and explored all of the options to expedite its replacement”.

Western Commissioner Jim Marcum noted that “This is a direct benefit of the county having a half-cent sales tax. The county had the emergency funding on hand to proceed immediately with this significant repair.”

Thanks to the commitment of everyone involved, this is one of the fastest bridges completed in Pettis County history. With a construction period of approximately five months, and a total completion time of 11 months from the moment it was closed by the Missouri Department of Transportation. For reference, a typical bridge replacement regularly takes 24-30 months from start to finish.

As a result of this exceptional situation, the commission initiated a study to identify bridges that may be limited access in the event of bridge closures in the future.

“Replacement and completion of this bridge, as quickly as it happened, is a testament to the contractor and engineers. The Bridge is an excellent addition to our Pettis County infrastructure.” noted Presiding Commissioner David Dick.

Baeza concluded by stating, “We appreciate the patience and understanding of all of the residents affected by this closure, as we worked through the process of getting the replacement bridge engineered and constructed.”