Public hearing set to discuss bridge

ORAN, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation will host a public hearing this week concerning replacement of the Route W bridge west of Oran, according to a news release from MoDOT. The hearing will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Oran Elementary School's multipurpose building at 310 Church St.

The meeting will focus on replacing the bridge over Ditch 35 on Route W between Oran and Perkins, Mo. The bridge was damaged by recent flooding and the road has been closed since.

MoDOT has had problems with some people trying to cross the closed bridge.

"We cannot stress enough how important it is for people to heed the signs and barricades and not cross the bridge," said project manager Andy Meyer. "Drift collected with the floods and damaged the bridge and it was closed because it is unsafe for motorists."

Meyer said an emergency contract for the bridge replacement is planned for June. Subject to commission approval, a contract will be awarded in July.

"We hope to have a contractor in place to start work on the bridge in July with work completed by the end of August," Meyer said. "The road will remain closed until that time. We plan to replace the bridge with a single span structure which will eliminate places where drift could be caught and reduce the possibility of future flood damage to the new bridge."

Anyone living or traveling near the area who would like to hear more about the project is invited to attend the hearing at any point in the three-hour window. No formal presentation will be made. Members of the project team will be on hand to discuss the project and answer questions one on one.

For more information, contact Meyer at 573-472-5296 or call MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636.