Bridge work will close Bloomfield Road

Installation of two prefabricated concrete bridges on Bloomfield Road will close both lanes of traffic for 12 days each later this summer, Cape Girardeau city engineer Casey Brunke said Thursday.

The city will issue public notices in advance of the bridge work, Brunke said.

The contractor will not be able to do both bridge installations consecutively, she said.

"There will have to be some break," Brunke said, explaining the city will not allow the road to be closed entirely to traffic for more than 12 days at a time.

The bridge work is part of the $2.69 million Bloomfield Road widening project, which includes installation of an 8-foot-wide walking trail.

Construction began last October and is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 19, Brunke said.

Single-lane closures have occurred for months along the route, which extends about a mile from Benton Hill Road to White Oaks Lane.

The city has required the contractor, Lappe Cement Finishing of Friedheim, to keep one lane of traffic open except in the case of the bridge work.

But motorists can count on delays of up to 30 minutes when concrete is being poured, she said.

To date, the contractor has poured concrete extending over 3,000 feet in one lane and 4,000 feet in the other lane, Brunke said.

Work on the widening project began at the south end of the route and is moving northward, she said.

Concrete paving has been completed from the south end of the route to north of the Dalhousie Golf Club entrance, she added.

Grading for the largely asphalt trail is proceeding, Brunke said.

The project includes installation of storm sewers and new sections of water pipe, Brunke said.

Boil-water alert

Waterline work in connection with the project left residents in nearby White Oaks and Dalhousie subdivisions without water Thursday.

The loss of water service occurred about 7:30 a.m. as crews worked to connect a new 12-inch water line with an existing water pipe, Brunke said.

A pipe connector failed, leading to the loss of water service, she said.

Service was later restored to the White Oaks and Dalhousie neighborhoods.

A boil-water advisory remains in effect until 4 p.m. today, city officials said.

Crews went door-to-door to notify affected residents, officials said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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