Due to wet weather conditions, the closure of the Grand River Bridge on U.S. Route 65 in Livingston County has been pushed to next week. The U.S. Route 65 bridge was expected to close this Wednesday, Aug. 12, but with more rain, in the forecast, the closure has been rescheduled for Tuesday, August 18, 2020, at 1 a.m. through Friday, August 21, at noon in order to pour the new bridge deck,
Emergency vehicles ONLY will be permitted to cross the bridge beginning the morning of Aug. 19. Non-emergency traffic will be permitted to resume the use of the bridge on the afternoon of Aug. 21. The extended closure for non-emergency traffic is in order to allow the concrete on the new driving surface to completely cure. When the bridge reopens, it will again be open to only one lane, with the 11.5-foot width restriction in place.
All traffic will be directed over a signed detour route on Routes Z, C, DD, D, and U.S. Route 36. The original detour utilized Route C between Route Z and U.S. Route 36; however, it was determined last week that a bridge along Route C is insufficient to carry the traffic volume that will be detoured off U.S. Route 65. Route C will be closed to all but local traffic – those living and/or working along Route C – during the U.S. Route 65 detour.
The project to replace the bridge deck over the Grand River, led by contractors from Radmacher Brothers Excavating Co., working with the Missouri Department of Transportation, has been active since early March on U.S. Route 65 at the Grand River Bridge just south of Chillicothe. This bridge is included in Gov. Mike Parson’s $351 million Focus on Bridges program, which will repair or replace 250 bridges across the state.
Contractors plan to have the bridge open to two-way traffic in early December. As with all construction, work is weather-permitting, and schedules are subject to change.
