Numerous truckers and motorists from across the nation honked their horns in support of mid-Missouri’s new $220-million I-70 Rocheport bridge during a Tuesday ribbon-cutting ceremony on the bridge.
Outgoing Governor Mike Parson, Governor-elect Mike Kehoe, state lawmakers in both parties, Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, Boonville’s mayor and numerous others helped cut the ribbon, in near freezing temperatures above the Missouri River. Governor Parson tells reporters that it’s a win for Missouri and a win for the United States, referring to the new bridge and plans to six-lane I-70 between Wentzville and Blue Springs:
“Because I-70 is the thoroughfare across the southern part of this country. And what I do believe is I do believe you’ll see other states follow suit with Missouri and build six lanes to match us,” Governor Parson says.
The current I-70 Rocheport bridge was built in 1960. MoDOT describes the I-70 Rocheport bridge as the lynchpin of America, noting it carries more than 12-million vehicles per year. The new bridge will officially be known as the Lt. Leon Deraps I-70 Missouri River bridge. Lt. Deraps, a U-S Marine who graduated from Moniteau C-1 in Jamestown, was killed in Iraq in 2006. Numerous family members of Lt. Deraps attended the ceremony and were recognized. Dale and Sandy Deraps of Jamestown helped cut the ribbon.
Meantime, Missouri’s transportation director expects the new $220-million I-70 Rocheport bridge to open by the end of December. State Department of Transportation (MoDOT) director Ed Hassinger also spoke at Tuesday’s ceremony and helped cut the ribbon. Director Hassinger tells reporters that there’s still work to do on the bridge:
“We’ve got to get the stripes on it, get stuff cleaned up. But I’d say by the end of the year, you know within the next three weeks, this bridge will be open … two lanes on this bridge, two lanes on the other bridge. So we’ll have four-lane traffic going across the bridge,” Hassinger says.
The current old steel truss bridge was built in 1960. The new twin bridges will each carry three lanes of traffic.
