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The Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge across the Missouri River is being prepped for some big changes. The Kansas Department of Transportation said a new bridge will be constructed by 2010, which will lead to the eventual demolition of the existing structure. The crossing into Kansas was built in 1938.

The first steps to build a new Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge across the Missouri River are taking shape this month.

Transportation officials said the early phases of the project this summer will include geological and archaeological surveys on both sides of the river. Work began last week to prepare for the construction of pier footings, the demolition of properties that cross the construction’s path, and right-of-way studies.

“They’ve got to get an accessway built down to the river” for the use of equipment, said Kansas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kimberly Qualls.

Archer Western Contractors Ltd. of Chicago was selected in March to build the $59 million bridge on U.S. Highway 59 at Atchison. The four-lane span will be built almost 80 feet south of the existing bridge, with a tentative completion scheduled for fall 2011. A tied (network) arch-style design is planned.

On the project’s east side, Missouri Department of Transportation spokeswoman Elaine Justus said Archer Western has been moving equipment into the area as archaeology reviews ensure that nearby historical sites are not impaired.

“They’re developing a staging area on the Missouri side,” Ms. Justus said.

Environmental tests are also set to determine the presence of protected species that must be left unharmed during the construction, Ms. Justus said. The list includes the pallid sturgeon, Indiana bat, bridge swallow and migratory birds.

The new span will result in the loss of four buildings owned by AmeriCast Technologies in Atchison and three houses on the Missouri side. A timetable for the AmeriCast demolitions has not been set, Ms. Qualls said.

A metal barn and other buildings in the Winthrop area are being demolished and trees being cut down for the impending construction, Ms. Justus said.

A formal groundbreaking ceremony is set for July 2, Ms. Qualls said.

Traffic will continue to use the current bridge, which opened in 1938. Maintenance and inspections will continue until the new bridge is ready for use.

The Kansas Department of Transportation has primary responsibility for bridge maintenance at Atchison, although both states will share in funding the construction.

Ray Scherer can be reached at rscherer@npgco.com.

A reporter misidentified the name of an Atchison, Kan., firm in a Wednesday front-page story on the new Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge. Bradken will lose four buildings during the construction of the new bridge.

The News-Press apologizes for the error.