It’s only been six months since the groundbreaking for a new Champ Clark Bridge took place, and already a significant piece of the structure is completed, although many onlookers may not actually see the milestone.

Last Saturday, crews completed all under water work for the eight drilled shafts.  “Those who have been following our progress know we’ve had a number of barge-mounted cranes in the river, yet may not know that most of the work to date isn’t a visible part of the new bridge,” explained Michael Massman, design-build coordinator for the contractor on the project Massman Construction.

He also noted that even though the underwater work is complete, crews will still be working from the barges, as they progress onto the above water construction of the piers.  “As we come out of the winter months, we are ready to continue with more visible elements of the bridge, most notably the concrete substructure,” Massman added.  The next phase of construction includes continuing work on the piers in the water and beginning work on the approach piers in Illinois.

Another significant milestone was completed just before winter set in, the completion of the U.S. Route 54 and Missouri Route 79 intersection improvement.  Massman is also constructing an overlook at Riverview Park that will be used for future project updates for the public.

To stay abreast on construction of the $60 million project that is cost-shared between Missouri and Illinois, please visit www.champclarkbridge.com.