HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT BEGINS EGYPT MILLS BRIDGE

Motorists who use Highway 177 from Cape Girardeau to go to the Procter and Gamble Paper Products plant, M&W Packaging plant or Trail of Tears State Park are advised to use an alternate route.

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Department said beginning Thursday vehicular traffic over the Flora Creek bridge on Highway 177 at Egypt Mills will be reduced to one lane during daylight hours to allow for construction of a bridge.

Traffic will be controlled by temporary signals that have been installed on each side of the bridge. The work will continue through the summer, with an estimated completion in October.

Bob Simpson, spokesman for the highway department's District 10 office at Sikeston, said the one-way traffic over the bridge will continue while the contractor is grading and asphalting approaches on both sides of the old bridge.

"As soon as the asphalt work is completed, we'll start 24-hour, one-way traffic over the old bridge until the new bridge is completed this fall," he explained. "Because of the large number of people who work at the plants on Highway 177, or live in the area, there may be times around shift changes at these plants when traffic will be backed up, waiting for the traffic signal to cross the bridge."

Simpson suggested motorists find an alternate route to avoid delays and traffic congestion.

There are a number of alternate routes available.

One is County Road 651 (Lower Bend Road), which runs from Highway 177 near the north Cape Girardeau city limits in a northeasterly direction, terminating at Highway 177 at Egypt Mills just north of the bridge site. Motorists should take Highway 177 north from Cape Girardeau, turn right on County Road 651, and continue until it ends at Highway 177.

Simpson said the highway department has relocated the northern end of the road at Highway 177 to keep traffic away from the bridge site.

Another alternate route is to turn left off Highway 177 (Big Bend Road) onto North Cape Rock Drive (County Road 643), then turn right on County Road 635 (the Upper Bend Road), and continue northward past the Egypt Mills Trinity Lutheran Church to County Road 627, which runs into Highway 177 north of Egypt Mills.

Those who live in the vicinity of North Sprigg Street or Cape Rock Drive may take either of those streets to their intersections with County Road 643 at Cape Rock Village, then go east on 643 to its junction with County Road 635, (Upper Bend Road), and turn left.

Those who live in the west end of town may take either I-55 to the Fruitland exit, then go north on Old Highway 61, and turn right on Highway 177; or take Route W from North Kingshighway and go north to its junction with Highway 177 east of Fruitland.

Simpson said the old bridge, built in 1934, will be replaced with a wider, 145-foot-long bridge. The contractor is Penzel Construction Co. of Jackson.

Meanwhile, work on a $6 million Highway 25 Diversion Channel bridge and relocated approaches at Blomeyer is on schedule.

"The bridge contract is about 86 percent complete," said Simpson. "Approximately 60 percent of the bridge deck has been poured, and we hope to make additional pours this week or early next week."

Simpson said it is anticipated the 1,500-foot bridge and new section of highway will be open around Aug. 1.

"The weather has really been a big help to Penzel," he said. "There was only one time when the channel was flooding and caused a slowdown in the work. Considering the floods that usually occur in the spring on the channel, we've been very fortunate."

Simpson said work is also well under way on grading and preparing the roadbed for a new stretch of highway over the bridge between Dutchtown and Blomeyer.

Simpson said a 30 mph speed limit has been imposed on Highway 25 between Dutchtown and Blomeyer, in the area of the highway construction. "The reason is we have heavy equipment crossing the old highway bridge during the day," he said. "The contractor has flagmen stopping traffic on both sides of the bridge to let the equipment cross."

Simpson said there have already been two collisions because motorists were traveling too fast and ran into vehicles stopped on the highway to let heavy equipment cross the bridge.

Simpson said: "Like all of our highway construction projects, the Missouri Highway Patrol will be monitoring the construction area to watch for compliance with the 30 mph speed limit. We ask for the cooperation of everyone so the work can be completed as soon, and as safe as possible."

After the new bridge and highway are opened this fall, the contractor will begin dismantling the old bridge, Simpson said.

Work on the North Kingshighway, Mount Auburn and Lexington intersection is also on schedule, Simpson reported.

"The total project is about 35 percent complete, but when we start pouring the deck on the new bridge over Cape LaCroix Creek that's going to jump it up about 10 to 15 percent," he said. "We anticipate having the work done and the intersection open sometime in August."

The project will square up the junction of the three streets and allow traffic signals to be installed.