By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
An important step has been cleared in the redesign of the I-229 double decker bridge in downtown St. Joseph.
Missouri Department of Transportation District Design Engineer Shannon Kusilek says the findings by the federal highway commission that the proposed realignment would have of no significant environmental impact is a big step.
“Moving forward now that means we can use that alignment, and we can start looking to work on a project to replace the existing bridge, as per the preferred alternate, and move forward with that,” Kusilek tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
Kusilek says the next step will be to get the project designated as a design-build project with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission.
“There’s some things we have to do like risk analysis assessment and determine some of the things we need to look at, and identify a team to lead the project, it will be a project director and a few other staff members to lead the project,” Kusilek explains. “And then, once we get that approved as a design-build project, then the first item of business would probably be to start working on getting design-build teams together and ideally then de-designating I-229 as an interstate.”
Kusilek says there is still funding needed for the project, and there is no set timeline at this time
“I think in the next five years it’s quite possible this is going to move forward with construction, probably sometime maybe in that five-year time frame,” Kusilek says. “The whole process for the design-build, to get that team going does take a couple years for that process, and then they’ll have to start with their proposals and then actually start the construction, I’d say five years is quite possible and maybe sometime within the next five years.”
The alternative plan for I-229 is to move the road to four lanes rather than the current double decker bridge. It would also lose its interstate designation and become a federal highway.
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