Missouri's plan to fix or replace state's bridges.(News & Numbers)

The State of Missouri will quadruple the pace of bridge repairs through its Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program. In November, the state awarded a single 30-year contract to repair/replace and maintain more than 800 of its bridges. The state will start paying the contractor only after the repairs are completed five years from now, and the contractor must maintain the bridges in satisfactory condition for the next 25 years. The contractor is required to secure its own financing, and the state will use at least one-third of its annual federal bridge dollars to pay the contract over the 25-year period, essentially paying back a loan for the building costs, profit, and interest. The transportation department estimates construction costs between $400 and $600 million for the project.

According to a 2006 Federal Highway Administration report, Missouri has more bridges in poor condition than all but three states. Of its 24,024 bridges, nearly 20 percent are structurally deficient. The 802 bridges targeted by the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program are mostly smaller, rural bridges from 100 to 300 feet long.

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