ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – Progress could be seen from the air Wednesday with new bridge girders being installed for a controversial project on the northbound lanes of the Interstate 55 bridge, between the River Des Peres and Loughborough.
Previous bridge girders seen in FOX 2 drone video from April 2024 had to go. MoDOT says they were damaged in a multi-million-dollar contractor mistake.
MoDOT area engineer Jen Wade says the setback has not changed the May 2025 deadline for completion. Contractor KCI Construction says a subcontractor is responsible for the mistake and that it’s working with them to make it right.
Wade added, “They’ve been genuinely engaging with us in finding solutions and they are just as committed to getting this done on schedule as we are.”
It’s not just commuters who will be glad to see the project done. Neighbors surrounding the construction project say they avoid the highway with side streets and it can add 15 minutes to their commute.
“It’s about keeping bridges standing, and it’s easier to get excited about projects that are expanding and changing things, and this is a project so fundamental, so important, and so often overlooked,” Jen Wade explained.
These updates are part of a $60 million rehab project on 26 bridges along I-55 from St. Louis to south county.
MoDOT adds that if deadlines are not met, taxpayers will get money back in penalties.
They are also reminding drivers that the southbound lanes of I-55 over River Des Peres will be closed from Friday night at 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. Saturday morning.
