SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Drivers on Interstate 44 in Springfield should prepare for overnight traffic slowdowns this week as crews install girders for the new Melville Road Bridge, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Contractor crews will install five girders over the interstate between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Tuesday through Friday, October 7–10, as part of the Forward 44: Melville Road Bridge Replacement Project.
The Greene County Sheriff’s Department will periodically slow or stop I-44 traffic for up to 11 minutes at a time while the girders are placed.
Westbound I-44
There will be slowdowns between Glenstone Avenue and County Road 127 on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, October 7 and 8. The on-ramps from Kansas Expressway and Glenstone Avenue to westbound I-44 will be closed during that work for safety reasons.
Eastbound I-44
Drivers traveling between Chestnut Expressway and County Road 127 will experience similar traffic holds Thursday and Friday nights, October 9 and 10. The Chestnut Expressway and West Bypass on-ramps to eastbound I-44 will also be closed.
Detour Routes
The Melville Road (Farm Road 127) bridge over I-44 remains closed, with detour routes available via West Bypass (Route 160), Kearney Street (Route 744), Kansas Expressway (Route 13) and Norton Road. Drivers will be able to access entrances on both sides of the bridge but cannot pass through the construction zone…