ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Transportation is spending more than $60 million rehabilitating 26 bridges along Interstate 55 from St. Louis City to south St. Louis County. But since last fall, one bridge in particular has been a problem.

“We’re talking about the Interstate 55 northbound bridge over the Union Pacific bridge, just north of River Des Peres,” Tom Blair, MoDOT’s St. Louis district engineer, said.

According to Blair, a contractor damaged bridge girders last fall while working on repairs. In April, the president of KCI construction said a sub-contractor was responsible for the multi-million-dollar mistake, adding, “currently, we are working to resolve all repair costs between KCI, subcontractor, and respective insurance carriers.”

“Now we have an agreement. We have a plan of how to get that bridge back open. After these damages, they’ve been good to work with,” Blair said. “They’ve spent substantial dollars out of their own pockets to keep all other aspects of the project moving.”

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Blair said KCI is responsible for all costs associated with engineering, design, and installation of the girders. KCI will also pay for an additional crossover south of the bridge so crews can complete the re-decking work on the southbound I-55 bridge over the River Des Peres.

“The completion date of this contract that was there before the damage occurred is the completion date that is in our plan moving forward,” Blair said. “Any work that takes place after that date, which is May 29, 2025, will result in liquidated damages. Money being paid out of the contractor’s pocket to the taxpayers.”

Right now, crews are waiting on the new girders to arrive.

“KCI and their team are prepared to do everything they can to get open as quickly as they can, safely. And we will be out there,” Blair said. “MoDOT will be out there as we were when they damaged the girder, and we will ensure the quality of work they do meets our expectations. That impact and frustration that citizens have has been the motivation for MODOT and KCI team to work really hard.”

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