Gov. Matt Blunt signed the bill for the improvement and replacement of more than 800 bridges in the state of Missouri, Sept. 6, 2007, in St. Joseph, on the U.S. Highway 169 North bridge over Interstate 29. The bridge is one that is on the list for work.

Gov. Matt Blunt called on highway officials to initiate an overdue statewide bridge repair program Monday.

The plea came one year and 15 days after he stood on an Interstate 29 overpass in St. Joseph and signed legislation that enabled the work on 802 of the state’s worst bridges.

Dubbed one of the oldest bridges in the state, the deck of the U.S. Highway 169 bridge that runs over Interstate 29 was slated for a makeover, Mr. Blunt said on Sept. 5, 2007, during a special ceremony.

Mr. Blunt had called a special session that summer to hasten the repairs.

Virtually untouched, the local bridge still resembles a patchwork quilt in September 2008.

“We’ve put it off long enough, but we want to make sure we have a great value for the citizens of Missouri,” Missouri Highways and Transportation Commissioner David Gach, of St. Joseph, said of the entire project.

Missouri Department of Transportation officials blame a volatile economy and severe price fluctuations for the construction delays. MoDOT and legislators had aimed at a package that would’ve awarded the full 802 load to one contractor so long as repairs were completed in five years.

“The hope is we’re still going to do the bridges,” said Don Wichern, district engineer for the MoDOT office in St. Joseph. “The difference is we don’t approach it that way, we don’t believe we’ll be able to do them as fast.”

Northwest Missouri was supposed to reap intense improvements to 157 of its bridges, including 12 in Buchanan County, 25 in Harrison County, 21 in Nodaway County, 15 each in Daviess, DeKalb and Platte counties, 13 each in Atchison and Holt counties, 10 in Andrew County and handfuls in other Midland Empire counties.

“The deteriorating condition of our nation’s bridges is a very real problem that must be addressed,” Mr. Blunt stated in a letter to the highway commission. “As time passes, the list of bad bridges on our national highway system grows ... While I know that (MoDOT) is working diligently to get this vital initiative under way, I urge you to bring this procurement to a swift conclusion ...”

MoDOT outreach coordinator Bob Brendel explained that the department isn’t kicking its heels: The state for about a year has been negotiating final contract terms with Missouri Bridge Partners in a challenging credit climate.

“It’s been increasingly difficult for private financing to be achieved with a project of this magnitude,” Mr. Brendel said. “We’re trying to let the market settle down or correct itself.”

Mr. Blunt is asking commissioners to nail down a tentative construction start date and come up with a new project timeline by Oct. 1.

MoDOT staff expect commissioners to release that information much sooner. The commission convenes for a special meeting Thursday to consider the future of the Safe and Sound Bridge Improvement Plan, which is estimated to cost between $400 million and $600 million.

Even if all systems are go, the fall construction season is ending and the earliest repairs couldn’t begin until late winter or early spring 2009.

Alyson E. Raletz can be reached

at alysonraletz@npgco.com.