MoDOT to replace 77-year-old Missouri River bridge. Here’s when work starts
Drivers in the Liberty and Independence areas are getting a replacement bridge over the Missouri River.
The Missouri Department of Transportation is replacing the Missouri Route 291 northbound Liberty Bend Bridge in Sugar Creek near River Bend, Independence and Liberty. Built in 1949, this structure stretches more than a third of a mile over the Missouri River.
MoDOT officials will answer questions at the open house Thursday, April 9, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Mike Onka Memorial Building, 11520 Putnam St., Sugar Creek.
Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2027 and finish by December 2029. MoDOT budgeted $92 million to replace the northbound bridge and rehabilitate the southbound bridge, built in 2001, according to Brooke Rohlfing, MoDOT spokesperson.
In December, the state agency will name a contractor to design and build the project. For this reason, Rohlfing said MoDOT does not know how construction will affect traffic and if the river crossing will have to close completely during construction.
The northbound Liberty Bend Bridge has received a “poor” grade each year since 2020, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory. The two-lane bridge is too narrow by modern standards, with just 1 foot of shoulder on each side.
More than 16,000 drivers crossed the northbound bridge each day in 2024, and that number is expected to increase 35% in the next 20 years, according to the National Bridge Inventory.
The closest river crossing is 5 miles to the west at I-435, which carries 2 1/2 times as many drivers. The next bridge is 28 miles to the east, near Lexington, Missouri.
In the 1940s, the Liberty Bend Bridge was built over dry land, while a new channel was cut for the Missouri River. The river was shortened by 4 ½ miles to decrease floods and make it easier for boats to navigate.
In 2023, MoDOT offered to donate the historic structure for reuse or preservation. However, as of 2026, there are no plans to reuse the bridge and some of the materials will be recycled, according to Rohlfing.
