350 Highway Closing

By Michael Downing, on July 19th, 2011

Route 350 to Close July 22-24 Near Raytown for Bridge Demolition

RAYTOWN, Mo. – Route 350 will close one weekend for bridge demolition between 63^rd Street and Gregory Boulevard (71^st Street) beginning late Friday, July 22, and re-open by early Monday, July 25, weather permitting.

The weekend closure, starting at 10 p.m. Friday, July 22, will mark the start of two bridge projects over Route 350 near Raytown. Route 350 will re-open by 5 a.m. Monday, July 25, but lanes may be narrowed at times to accommodate bridge work.

The Blue Ridge Cutoff bridge, built in 1936, will be redecked and rehabilitated. The 67^th Street bridge, built in 1925, will be replaced. Both bridges are expected to re-open in September. Traffic will detour to Gregory Boulevard, I-435 and 63^rd Street during the weekend closure of Route 350. Once the 67^th Street bridge is removed, periodic lane closures on Route 350 will be in place for debris removal at Blue Ridge Cutoff bridge and for construction of the new 67^th Street bridge.

Motorists traveling either Blue Ridge Cutoff or 67^th Street will be directed to other local routes for several weeks until the structures re-open. The two bridges are among 10 in Jackson County that are being repaired or replaced this year as part of the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program.

MoDOT also is replacing bridges, decks or making other structural improvements to bridges in Independence, south Kansas City, Lake Lotawana and Greenwood in Jackson County this year. Some of these bridges have been or will be closed to through traffic for up to 60 days sometime this year to allow the contractor to complete work quickly. The closures detour traffic to nearby routes, affecting school bus, emergency service and postal routes.

These bridges are among more than 800 statewide that are being repaired, redecked or replaced through MoDOT’s Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program. Most of Missouri’s worst bridges will be fixed through this accelerated program, including more than 145 in the eight-county Kansas City District. This year alone, MoDOT will fix more than 70 bridges and complete all scheduled Safe & Sound bridges by the end of 2012.

For more information about this or any other MoDOT project, please visit MoDOT’s Website at www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity. For instant updates, follow MoDOT_KC on Twitter, be a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOT.KansasCity or send questions and comments to kccommunityrelations@modot.mo.gov.