Mo. highway officials pick favorite contractor for bridge plan

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- State highway officials have picked a preferred contracting team for a long-term plan to repair and maintain 802 of Missouri's worst bridges.

The Highways and Transportation Commission on Wednesday selected a group called Missouri Bridge Partners as its apparent "best-value" to carry out the work. But the contract has not been finalized, and negotiations continue on costs, risks and responsibilities.

The Transportation Department said details of the proposed contract would remain confidential until it is finalized.

The Legislature in August authorized a unique plan that would award a single, 30-year contract to fix the bridges quickly and then maintain them over the long run.

Of Missouri's 24,024 bridges, nearly 20 percent, or 4,595, are structurally deficient, according to a 2006 Federal Highway Administration report. The state has more bridges in poor condition than all but three states -- Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Iowa.

The department said major participants in Missouri Bridge Partners include Zachry American Infrastructure, Parsons Transportation Group, Fred Weber Inc., Clarkson Construction, HNTB and Infrastructure Corp. of America.