Getting flooded routes open as quickly and safely as possibly by the end of 2011 is the goal of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). That will help alleviate strains on travel for motorists.

One of the first big steps to accomplish this goal began Wednesday, Sept. 21, with the start of emergency contract repairs in Atchison County on Highway 136. Leavenworth Excavating & Equipment Company, Inc., of Leavenworth, Kan., is repairing the 1.7 mile section of roadway that runs from Route D to the west side of Interstate 29. The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded a $3,293,570.90 contract for the work.  
“We are committed to doing everything possible to get these roads opened as quickly and safely as possible for Missourians. In some areas we are still waiting for waters to recede, but we are spending every available minute planning how to repair and reopen these roads so we can all move forward,” said Don Wichern, MoDOT’s Northwest District engineer.

This is the first of a multi-phase project that will be necessary to restore access completely across Highway 136 where four large gaps in the pavement exist due to the summer flooding. The purpose of this first emergency repair project is to fill three of the four gaps, as well as other shoulder repair work. The target completion for this project is Saturday, Oct. 15. The contractor is anticipating working 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Once this phase is complete, access will be restored to Phelps City, as well as Route U and Route D.
The next phase of the project will be to repair the largest of the gaps in the pavement, a 600-foot scour hole. Several options are being considered to repair this section. However, damages cannot be assessed and staff cannot determine how deep the hole has become until waters recede.
For more information about this or other projects being handled by MoDOT, please call the toll-free customer service hotline at: 1-888-275-6636.
As of Sept. 28, the Missouri River stage at Brownville was 33.7 feet, slightly over flood stage which begins at 33 feet and the flow of water past the gauge near the Highway 136 bridge near Brownville was about 100 kcfs. Also that day, the Corps of Engineers was releasing about 60,000 cfs from Gavins Point Dam with plans to reduce its releases to 40,000 cfs by early next month. It will continue to take a while for the reduced releases to become apparent downstream. Time will tell when the Missouri River falls back within its banks and to see exactly what impacts the levee breaches have on the flow through the normal river channel.