Drivers who use the Big Bend bridge over Interstate 44 in Oakland will have to find an alternative route starting in the spring next year, when the Missouri Department of Transportation is slated to replace the bridge.
While the bridge is technically in Oakland, it is close to Crestwood city limits and the closest interstate exit is to Crestwood.
The bridge was built in 1967 and requires constant maintenance, MoDOT engineers said at a virtual town hall on the project last Tuesday. Because maintenance is so routine, it would be cheaper in the long run to replace the bridge all together.
According to the timeline provided by MoDOT, project bids would go out this fall, with construction anticipated to begin in spring 2022. Big Bend itself will be closed approximately four months and I-44 will be closed at least one weekend to demolish the bridge. During the project, I-44 will be reduced to three lanes for about 60 days.