HANNIBAL - The public is invited to stop by the Louisiana City Council Chambers at the Louisiana City Hall at 202 South Third Street, on Tuesday, May 15 between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to learn more about the upcoming bridge work on US 54 this June. The Noix Creek and North Fork Noix Creek bridges on US 54 between Louisiana and Bowling Green in Pike County will be replaced and the road will be closed during construction. Displays, maps and more information about the bridge projects will be available at the community briefing.

Notifications to area residents and businesses along this section of US 54 have been sent, and local media have already helped spread the message of the closure. Commercial vehicles to and from Illinois are being encouraged to cross Mississippi River at I-72 in Hannibal. Commercial vehicles are encouraged to use detours over MO 79 south, Route B west and US 61 north or south. Local and tourism traffic are encouraged to use US 54, Route UU, and US 61 north or south for a detour. Detours will be posted online.

"We have worked closely with local officials to determine the best time to work on the bridges," said MoDOT Area Engineer Brian Haeffner. "It was very important to schedule the closings so it would not impact spring planting and fall harvests, and for the closure to occur while school is out for the summer," he explained. Both bridges will have 12 ft. lanes and full shoulders.

Weather permitting, on Monday, June 18, US 54 between Bowling Green and Louisiana will be closed to traffic to replace the 83 year old bridge at Noix Creek near Vera, and on the following Monday, June 25, the 53 year old bridge at the North Fork of Noix Creek will also close for replacement.

The bridge replacements should take approximately 40 to 50 working days and should reopen the first week of August. Several notices have been posted through media, schools and email. Message boards will be set up in advance of the closure along major routes to alert motorists local businesses are open.

For more information about these bridges or others in the Safe & Sound Bridge Program, contact the MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK MoDOT (275-6636). You can also visit us online at www.modot.mo.gov/northeast.

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