The Highway 240 spur, which connects U.S. 40 to Rocheport in south Howard County, closed this week so that the Missouri Department of Transportation can replace a bridge over Moniteau Creek.

MoDOT says the nearly 60-year-old bridge “is old and has reached a point where replacement is necessary.” The road into Rocheport was closed starting on Tuesday. The project is scheduled to be completed in June.

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded the contract for the project to E and C Bridge on March 1, 2022, which submitted a low bid of $3,158,997.

The bridge is one of three in the immediate area and two in Howard County to be under construction at the same time. A new U.S. 40 bridge over Salt Creek and the MKT Trail has been under reconstruction since June. According to MoDOT, it is expected to be complete by the end of this month.

The state is also constructing a new six-lane bridge on Interstate 70 over the Missouri River near Rocheport in Cooper County.

Recently, MoDOT made emergency repairs to the Highway 240 bridge over Salt Creek in Howard County, about four miles south of Fayette. The bridge is ultimately expected to be replaced, although no official plans have been made.