The Missouri Department of Transportation announces the closing of the concrete viaduct (known as the Katy Trail Bridge) on Route 5 in New Franklin has been rescheduled to Feb. 22.

Although the closures will not take place until that date, the contractor, Widel, Inc., of  Blackwater, will begin moving equipment into the area and doing some preliminary work beginning Feb. 16.

Missouri Street, which runs parallel to the bridge, will also be closed to all thru traffic.

Information was sent out in January with a tentative start date of Feb. 1. Weather conditions caused some delays to push back the start and closure date to Feb. 16. The announcement on Wednesday pushed back the closing date another six days.

The bridge must be closed to allow the contractor to remove the old concrete structure and replace it with new pavement, including curb and gutter. Because of its close proximity to the bridge, Missouri Street must also be closed to allow for the demolition and construction.  

The bridge and Missouri Street will be closed to traffic for up to 75 days. During this time, all traffic on Route 5 and Missouri Street will need to choose alternate routes. The contractor will allow only those local property owners who have no other means to access their property to utilize Missouri Street, but no thru traffic will be allowed.

The improvements will cost over $1 million and will increase safety and mobility for citizens in New Franklin and the surrounding communities.

For more information, contact the MoDOT District 2 Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK MoDOT (275-6636). The center is open Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., or visit MoDOT’s Web site at www.modot.mo.gov/northcentral/NewFranklinViaduct.