The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) – Southeast District recently selected CH2M to provide an environmental assessment ahead of a potential bridge upgrade along the Route 51 Mississippi River crossing.
Constructed in its current form in 1944, the Route 51 Bridge is categorized as functionally obsolete due to its outdated design. It is used by more than 6,500 vehicles per day and is the only river crossing for vehicle traffic between Perry County, Missouri and Chester, Illinois.
“While MoDOT begins looking at upgrades to the aging Route 51 Bridge infrastructure, taking traffic, tourism, seismic activity and environmental needs into consideration will be vital,” said Bryan Nichol, director of CH2M’s Global Highways and Bridges Practice.
As part of its agreement CH2M will support the initial evaluation options, bringing together engineering and environmental considerations that will focus on location, mode choice, and any cultural constraints. In addition, implications for area-wide quality and land use will also be considered. CH2M’s environmental assessment will also determine if there are significant impacts to proposed options, including replacing the 73-year-old bridge.
“We have a long, successful history of working with MoDOT on its most important and challenging projects and look forward to the opportunity to build on this relationship with the Chester Bridge environmental assessment,” said CH2M’s Vice President Buddy Desai.