Gainesville’s bridge over Lick Creek: One month of work down, one and a half months to go
The east-side entry to Third Street and the Gainesville square from Highway 160 has been closed for about a month as contractor crews complete work on the Barney Douglas Bridge over Lick Creek.
The Barney Douglas Bridge over Lick Creek on Highway 160 just east of the Gainesville square has been under construction for just over a month now, and work will likely continue until late August, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.
“I discussed this with our contractor…, and their plan is to complete the bridge work on the portion of the bridge that is currently closed by about the end of July,” Audie Pulliam, MoDOT resident engineer, said last week in discussing the current closure of the westbound lane across the bridge. “Then [they will] switch the lane closure to the eastbound lane to allow the remainder of the work to be performed. Weather permitting, that should allow us to fully open the bridge around the end of August.”
The bridge work began June 15 when the eastbound lane of the bridge was coned off and two temporary traffic lights were installed on either end, allowing vehicles to take turns using the westbound lane to travel across the bridge.
Because the nature of the bridge construction, the entrance to the square at Highway 160 to Third Street was completely closed. Although detour signs are not installed, motorists can use other routes to get to the square.
Westbound traffic can reach the square by taking Hillside Drive from Highway 160 and turning left onto Main Street. Eastbound traffic can reach the square from Highway 160 by taking Highway 5 north and turning right onto First Street and verring left onto Main Street.
The bridge work is part of a larger $4.8 million project that will widen the roadway to add shoulders with rumble strips along Highway 160 from Highway 5 in Gainesville east to Highway 101 in the Caulfield area of Howell County.
The Missouri Transportation Commission awarded the bid to Pace Construction, which operates out of offices in West Plains, St. Louis and Poplar Bluff.
The full project is set to be complete by Nov. 15. Depending on weather, work is done between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays – and on weekends as necessary.