July 15, 2002

Columbia, Mo. - The landscape of the Sports Park at MU will continue its growth tonight, when a short section of Providence Road between Stadium Boulevard and South Hearnes Drive will be closed from 11:30 p.m. tonight, to 6 a.m. Tuesday, July 16th.

This closing is necessary to allow the setting by construction crews of trusses for the new pedestrian bridge that will span Providence Road between the athletic facilities on the west side of Providence Road and Memorial Stadium.

The overpass, when completed in late August, will provide a safe means of crossing the busy street for football game days, as well as all other foot traffic throughout the year. The project is a $1.6 million cooperative effort between the University and the federal government, which is providing 80 percent of the funding through a federal transportation enhancement grant administered through the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).

Providence Road traffic will be routed by way of Stadium Boulevard, to Mick Deaver Drive (the road that separates Faurot Field and the Hearnes Center) to South Hearnes Drive.

From a statistical standpoint, the bridge trusses are 154 feet in length, weigh approximately 62 tons, and will stand a minimum of 17 feet, two inches in minimum height over Providence Road. When completed, the bridge will be able to support 154,000 pounds of traffic, or the equivalent of over 600 250-pound people, at one time.