More repairs scheduled for Route 76 bridge Cape Fair
Crews removed the crumbling overlay on the Route 76 bridge was removed last week.
Shana Harter
Mar. 4, 2021
On Friday, Feb. 26, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) closed the Missouri Route 76 bridge over Table Rock Lake in Cape Fair for the day and removed the overlay on the bridge surface e and insert an asphalt wedge on the west end of the bridge.
The one- and three-quarter inch overlay that contractors installed in December had crumbled, creating potholes and loose material on the bridge surface.
According to MoDOT engineer Johnny Teegardin, the concrete overlay had cracked and allowed water to enter and collect between the new overlay and the bridge deck’s underlying pre-cast panels. With freezing temperatures, the water between the panels and overlay froze, causing the overlay to debond from the pre-cast panels and eventually crumble.
Teegardin said that MoDOT committed to the local public not to construct the bridge between Memorial Day and Labor Day due to tourist activity and lake area traffic. This time frame, however, is the most favorable for such a construction project. Because closing the bridge for extended periods created lengthy detours for local traffic, MoDOT promised to keep the bridge open as much as possible between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Due to this commitment, the contractor was required to install the overlay in low temperatures and reopen the bridge to traffic by 6 a.m.
“Although we were able to achieve the required strength for the concrete to allow the opening to traffic, there is evidence that opening to traffic may have led to excessive cracking of the panels caused by the flexing of the steel girders under the weight of the vehicles,” Teegardin said.
MoDOT says the bridge is structurally sound without the overlay. The concrete overlay prevents salt and chemicals from reaching the pre-cast panels beneath it, extending the life of the bridge deck.
Teegardin says now that the overlay is removed, they will wait until warmer temperatures to reinstall the overlay. Daytime and nighttime temperatures need to remain above 45 degrees.
In addition to warmer temperatures, the Corps of Engineers has requested that MoDOT waits until after paddlefish season to perform the work. This will place the timeframe for repairs into April.
Teegardin said, “We will then need to find a time frame with good weather where we can ensure the greatest success for the overlay, but [we] will complete this work by Memorial Day.”
MoDOT will update the details and dates as soon as information is available.
Mar. 4, 2021
On Friday, Feb. 26, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) closed the Missouri Route 76 bridge over Table Rock Lake in Cape Fair for the day and removed the overlay on the bridge surface e and insert an asphalt wedge on the west end of the bridge.
The one- and three-quarter inch overlay that contractors installed in December had crumbled, creating potholes and loose material on the bridge surface.
According to MoDOT engineer Johnny Teegardin, the concrete overlay had cracked and allowed water to enter and collect between the new overlay and the bridge deck’s underlying pre-cast panels. With freezing temperatures, the water between the panels and overlay froze, causing the overlay to debond from the pre-cast panels and eventually crumble.
Teegardin said that MoDOT committed to the local public not to construct the bridge between Memorial Day and Labor Day due to tourist activity and lake area traffic. This time frame, however, is the most favorable for such a construction project. Because closing the bridge for extended periods created lengthy detours for local traffic, MoDOT promised to keep the bridge open as much as possible between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Due to this commitment, the contractor was required to install the overlay in low temperatures and reopen the bridge to traffic by 6 a.m.
“Although we were able to achieve the required strength for the concrete to allow the opening to traffic, there is evidence that opening to traffic may have led to excessive cracking of the panels caused by the flexing of the steel girders under the weight of the vehicles,” Teegardin said.
MoDOT says the bridge is structurally sound without the overlay. The concrete overlay prevents salt and chemicals from reaching the pre-cast panels beneath it, extending the life of the bridge deck.
Teegardin says now that the overlay is removed, they will wait until warmer temperatures to reinstall the overlay. Daytime and nighttime temperatures need to remain above 45 degrees.
In addition to warmer temperatures, the Corps of Engineers has requested that MoDOT waits until after paddlefish season to perform the work. This will place the timeframe for repairs into April.
Teegardin said, “We will then need to find a time frame with good weather where we can ensure the greatest success for the overlay, but [we] will complete this work by Memorial Day.”
MoDOT will update the details and dates as soon as information is available.