BRIDGE GIRDER REPAIRED

The Bloomfield Road bridge over Interstate 55 was not on the verge of collapse earlier this week. The crew from the Missouri Department of Transportation that worked on it Monday through Wednesday and blocked off one lane of traffic at times repaired a girder that apparently was damaged months ago, said Randy Hitt, area engineer for the department.

A crew discovered the damage last winter during a routine inspection, Hitt said. Apparently a truck hauling a load that was piled too high hit the girder and bent it where two beams come together, Hitt said.

The crew replaced the bolts and a splice plate, Hitt said.

It was the kind of damage that posed no immediate danger but needed to be repaired eventually, Hitt said.