Route 97 to close south of Lockwood

(From MODOT)

Route 97 to CLOSE Between Routes NN & 96 Week of May 2 to Replace Four Bridges

Contractor crews will CLOSE Missouri Route 97 between Lawrence County Route NN and Missouri Route 96 south of Lockwood to replace four (4) bridges beginning the week of May 2, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.

Beginning with the bridge over Dry Branch north of Route YY, contractor crews will remove and replace three existing box bridges and one single-lane bridge with new structures as well as adding new object markers at the ends of the bridges.

These are the impacted bridges on Route 97:
Over Dry Branch – Closed between Lawrence County Road 2015 and Route YY.
Over Wilder Branch – Closed between Lawrence County roads 2030 and 2040.
Over North White Oak Creek – Closed between Lawrence County roads 2010 and 2015.
Over South White Oak Creek – Closed between Lawrence County roads 2040 and 2050.

These four (4) structures will be replaced one at a time to allow for local access, but Route 97 will remain closed to through traffic until all four structures are completed.

Traffic Impacts

Route 97 will be CLOSED between Lawrence County roads 2010 and 2015, north of Route 96

Drivers will have access to driveways and entrances on either end of the work zone, but will not be allowed to drive through the work zone

Drivers will be directed to a signed detour using U.S. Route 160, Missouri Route 39 and Missouri Route 96. All Route 97 closures will use this same detour.

Route 97 will be CLOSED until late November 2022

Signs and message boards will alert drivers approaching the work zone

Drivers should consider alternate routes during the project

Check MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map for road closings/traffic impacts

This work is part of a three-year project to improve 25 bridges within 15 miles of I-44 across the Southwest District. Of the 25 bridges in the project, known as the I-44 Corridor Bridge Bundle, seven (7) are mainline I-44 bridges, five (5) are I-44 overpass bridges and the remaining bridges are on adjacent routes over various features. Sixteen (16) bridges will be replaced and nine (9) bridges will receive major rehabilitation work.

All work in 2022 will be in Lawrence County, where crews will replace five (5) bridges and rehabilitate four (4) others.

Weather and/or construction delays could alter the work schedule.

More information about this project can be found on the project website – I-44 Corridor Bridge Bundle.

Project Details

Prime Contractor – The ESS Team
Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc. – Columbia
Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. – St. Louis
Total Project Cost: $43.2 million
Contract Completion Date: September 30, 2024

The ESS Team is a partnership of engineering and construction firms that will design and construct the project with oversight by MoDOT and the Federal Highway Administration.