AASHTO Journal, 26 October 2012
The last road damaged by the Great Missouri Flood last year and closed by the Missouri Department of Transportation was re-opened this month, marking the end of a long journey by MoDOT to repair the extensive damage done to the state’s transportation infrastructure.
Beginning in June 2011, the Missouri River spilled over in various counties in Northwest Missouri, causing severe damage to the area’s highways. Approximately 70 miles of road had to be closed due to the flooding damage, affecting 23 routes across four counties. MoDOT’s challenge was to repair all the damaged roads and get them open as fast as it could.
Now, less than a year and a half later, MoDOT is celebrating the re-opening of the final road closed due to the flooding with a video on the scale of the project. Viewers get a glimpse at just how quickly the Missouri River swelled, showing the damage done to the transportation infrastructure in the four affected counties. MoDOT officials also discuss the challenges they faced in attempting to get those roads repaired and back open for public use.
MoDOT’s video is available online at bit.ly/MoDOTflood.