1960 I-70 Rocheport Bridge over Missouri River near Columbia, MO

(Bridge Hunter broke Mar 22, 2023; Satellite)

Missouri's Historic Highways posted
06-26-1961 I-70 Rocheport Bridge
Marvin McKelvy: No traffic back then. Now there would be 100 cars in that photo.
Russ Gilmore: River had a lot more water flowing through it back then.
[Comments indicate that since the 1993 flood, the farms have been turned into wetlands.]

Street View, Apr 2023
Yet another truss bridge that is being replaced by a UCEB (Ugly Concrete Eyesore bridge). Although there is no shoulder on this bridge.

 

kmmo
The current bridge was opened in 1960. The new bridge is expected to cost $240m. "The bridge carries 12.5 million vehicles per year, including 3.6 million trucks." The crossing will have two bridges, one for each direction of travel. And each bridge will carry four lanes of traffic.

It looks like the old bridge had some non-trivial steel girders in its approach spans.

Amy Lade, Aug 2017

This Jun 6, 2023, accident closed the highway for about 6 hours.

ksdk, Boone County Fire Protection District      Also kbja
"Boone County fire said one person was removed from a vehicle involved in the crash and taken to the hospital. They did not provide an update on their condition. There were no other reported injuries."
The livestock trailer was hauling 55 cows. They sent a brush truck to cool down the cows while they untangled the accident. I think a brush truck is a fire truck with a small pump and a big water supply.

modot

modot

ColumbiaTribune, Don Shrubshell/Columbia Daily Tribune
"The new crossing will be called the Lance Cpl. Leon Deraps Interstate 70 Missouri River Bridge. Deraps, a Jamestown native, was killed at the age of 19 while serving with the U.S. Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006."
The first bridge was supposed to be completed in spring of 2023 rather than in June. Construction started in Oct 2021.
"An 11-foot [3.4m] diameter drill bit is being used to drill holes through 50 feet [15m] of riverbed and earth and 20 feet [6m] into bedrock to place the support structures."

ColumbiaTribune, Don Shrubshell/Columbia Daily Tribune