JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Both directions of the new Lance Corporal Leon Deraps I-70 Missouri River Bridge at Rocheport are now open for the more than 37,000 vehicles, including 8,800 commercial vehicles, that use the bridge each day. Crews were able to move eastbound traffic from the new westbound bridge onto the new eastbound bridge overnight.
Construction began in early 2022 to replace the old steel truss bridge, which was completed in 1960. The old bridge carried two lanes of interstate traffic in each direction. When all work is completed in 2025, the new twin bridges will each carry three lanes of traffic, linking the multiple projects in the Improve I-70 program, currently underway. (Learn more about the program at modot.org/improvei70.)
Funding for the Rocheport Bridge project came from several sources including the city of Boonville, the city of Columbia, Boone County, Cooper County and an $81.2 million INFRA grant, secured with assistance from Missouri U.S. Congressman Sam Graves.
“These twin new bridges would not have been possible without the foresight, cooperation and contributions of our federal and state elected leaders as well as the local communities who recognized the long-term value of investing in a bridge that connects their region, the state and the nation,” said MHTC Chairman Boatwright at the Dec. 10, 2024, ribbon cutting ceremony. “This project is a testimony to what’s possible when we work together at all levels.”
Construction will continue through late spring 2025 with minimal traffic impacts expected. For more information on the project, visit www.modot.org/RocheportBridge.
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