Construction is set to begin next week on the Chariton County Route D bridge over Clark Branch, located approximately 1 mile east of Missouri Route 5. The bridge will be replaced through the Fixing Access to Rural Missouri (FARM) Bridge Program. The roadway was closed at the bridge in early May, but the Design-Build Contractor, Lehman-Wilson, faced multiple delays due to crew and equipment availability.

Crews plan to begin with demolition of the existing bridge on Monday, June 12. Construction is expected to be complete, and the roadway reopened by mid-October. The Clark Branch Bridge, located 0.5 miles west of Route 129, is also closed for replacement through the FARM Bridge program and is expected to reopen by mid-September.
The Clark Branch Bridge was built in 1938 and has a traffic volume of approximately 200 vehicles per day.

The FARM Bridge Program will replace deficient bridges on low-volume routes that are:
· Weight-restricted
· In poor condition
· On timber pile
· One-lane but carry two-way traffic

A full list of bridges to be replaced can be found on the FARM Bridge program web page at https://www.modot.org/farm-bridge-program