Uncertainty remains for bridge's completion date

While the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge's dedication ceremony is still scheduled for Dec. 13, project officials aren't offering any guarantees when the final work will be complete, said MoDOT area engineer Scott Meyer.

"We've had some good weather and some good progress," Meyer said. "But we can't say unequivocally just when we're going to be ready."

With such a large project, delays can occur inside a litany of the finishing tasks, he said.

One of the factors affecting the new bridge's completion is wind. The large power cranes that must be dismantled from the towers before the bridge opens can't be removed safely in high winds, he said.

But relatively mild weather has helped crews make a lot of progress during the last several months, he said. Temperature concerns disappeared during the laying down of the silica fume concrete driving surface that is part of the final process. The weather must be dry and the temperature can't exceed 85 degrees or dip below 40 degrees during the application.

"The silica is all down except for a little-bitty piece on an expansion joint," Meyer said. "But the temperature is not a variant at this point."

Another of the remaining tasks is installing a wind-tie system of cables that will stretch diagonally across the existing cables to keep them from oscillating in high winds, he said.

Project engineer Stan Johnson said unpredictable weather is the main concern for now.

"There's still things that can go wrong out there, but we still think we can make the 13th if things go right," he said.

Even if the bridge isn't open to traffic on Dec. 13, it will be safe for the planned festivities, he said.

"The dedication ceremony can be held and the motorcade can still go across, but we've got to get overhead work done before traffic can really cross," Johnson said. "The work at deck level or under the bridge is really no big deal, but we don't want traffic underneath as we work above them."

The completion of the bridge can't come too soon, say many area residents who have been watching the construction. Those who often drive the 75-year-old Mississippi River bridge, which is rusty and riddled with potholes, are especially eager for the new one to open.

"I think the old bridge is horrible," said Linda Hopp of Anna, Ill., who comes to Cape Girardeau at least once a week. "I close my eyes all the way across it even if I'm the one driving."

Managing editor Heidi Hall contributed to this report.

mwells@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160