BRIDGE OVER JUDEN CREEK OPENS NEXT WEEK

For the first time in over six years, motorists soon will be able to cross Juden Creek on East Cape Rock Drive near Highway 177.

A new, one-lane bridge over the creek, which runs near Twin Trees Park, is scheduled to open sometime next week, a spokesman for the Cape Girardeau city engineer's office said Tuesday.

Civil Engineer David Lah said Tuesday the asphalt paving of the approaches to each side of the bridge was scheduled to begin today.

"We anticipate the bridge will be open to traffic sometime next week, depending on whether or not the contractor can finish up the backfilling, dressing up the slopes, and cleanup of the site," said Lah. "That could depend on the weather."

The 80-foot-long, 14-foot-wide bridge, with concrete deck and twin steel-beam support, replaces one built over the creek in 1922 by the Cape Special Road District.

In 1979, the old bridge floor and superstructure were renovated by the city with assistance from the 1140th Combat Engineer Battalion of the Missouri National Guard. In 1982, the wooden bridge floor was repaired by a Naval Reserve "Seabee" construction battalion at the Cape Girardeau Naval Reserve Center after it was damaged by flood water from Juden Creek and backwater from the Mississippi River.

The bridge was finally closed to traffic in July 1985, when it was discovered some of its aging wooden support timbers had rotted, causing a part of the bridge floor to collapse. Officials said the rot was caused by the constant immersion of the wooden timbers in the backwater when the Mississippi River was above flood stage. The creek empties into the river about a half-mile east of the bridge.

In 1977, the city engineer's office estimated it would cost $250,000 to build a new, two-lane bridge across Juden Creek.

Lah said the cost of removing the old bridge and construction of the new one was $112,000. City capital improvement funds were used; no federal or state funds were available.

Bids on the bridge were opened in April. Lah said the project was delayed about two weeks this fall while waiting for the arrival of the custom-made steel support beams. They were installed and the concrete bridge floor poured earlier this month by the contractor, Rickard Construction Co. of Cape Girardeau.

Lah said the bridge will have a HS 15-44 load designation.

When the decision was made to build a new bridge, the engineering staff recommended a two-lane bridge. But the Cape Girardeau City Council opted for a single, 12-foot-wide traffic lane, which means the bridge will be restricted to one-way traffic.

The opening of the bridge means motorists can again enjoy a scenic drive from North Main along East Cape Rock Drive to Highway 177. The drive includes historic Cape Rock and an excellent view of the Mississippi River.