The last of 31 bridges in a bundled replacement project opened in northern Missouri this month, marking the completion of the Fixing Access to Rural Missouri (FARM) Bridge Program. The program replaced 31 bridges across northern Missouri that were weight-restricted, supported by timber piles, in poor condition, and were one-lane but carried two-way traffic. The replacements were funded by a $20.8 million Competitive Highway Bridge Program grant from the Federal Highway Administration in 2018, as well as $5.2 million from the Missouri Department of Transportation.
The design-build project was awarded to the Lehman-Wilson team in spring 2021. Design-build is a project delivery method where one contracting team is selected to design and build the highway improvement under one contract. MoDOT provides the project goals, budget, and schedule, and the contractor team completes the work. This technique is known to significantly save time and provide cost savings.
When the Highway T bridge over Fitzgerald Branch in Gentry County opened this month, it marked the program’s completion – one month ahead of schedule. The full list of bridge replacements is available on MoDOT’s website: Fixing Access to Rural Missouri (FARM) Bridge Program.
