The winning bidder, Lunda Team, is made up of Lunda Construction, Parsons Transportation Group, Dan Brown & Associates and Hugh Zeng United.
“This is an exciting moment for this project, and we are thrilled to be working with the Lunda Team,” said Missouri Department of Transportation’s project director for the Rocheport Bridge, Brandi Baldwin. “The replacement of the bridge provides a long-lasting solution and the plan will have minimal impacts to traffic on I-70 during construction.”
The current bridge was built in 1960 and is rated as being in poor condition, which could have resulted in weight restrictions in the coming years. MoDOT said the 60-year-old bridge is safe and will be maintained while construction of the new bridge is under way.
The design includes two bridges, one in each direction of travel, each with three lanes. This is intended to allow for construction to take place with only a limited impact on traffic.
“This bridge lies at the heart of Missouri and not only connects the two sides of our state but the majority of our country,” said Mike Parson, the governor of the US state. “With over 12 million vehicles using the bridge each year and trucks carrying goods to all corners of the country, it is vital that we have world-class infrastructure in place that can meet the demand. This new bridge will keep people moving safely and drive economic activity in our state and local communities.”
Lunda Team competed against three other design build teams, all of whom had local and national experience. The client said that the winning proposal showed not only an understanding of the engineering endeavour set out before the teams and a design that will serve travellers for the next century, it also showed an understanding of the local, statewide, and national importance of the work.
The design-build team’s proposal had to meet or exceed several goals set by Missouri Department of Transportation, which included providing a high-quality, durable, low-maintenance project that improves safety and reliability, minimising traffic impacts during and after construction, and demonstrating a commitment to quality and innovation in all phases of the project.
Construction is scheduled to begin later this year and be complete by the end of 2024.
