Traffic Shift Planned for Route 8 Bridge Project Near Potosi

Washington Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A major milestone in the rehabilitation of the Missouri Route 8 bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad in Washington County, Missouri near Potosi is scheduled for Friday, March 6.

Contractors with S & A Equipment & Builders, working in partnership with the Missouri Department of Transportation, will shift traffic onto the first completed half of the bridge. The change will allow crews to begin work on the second half of the structure.

Temporary traffic signals that have been guiding vehicles through the work zone will remain in place during this next phase of construction to direct traffic safely across the bridge.

The project is aimed at rehabilitating the bridge that carries Route 8 over the Union Pacific rail line, improving safety and extending the life of the structure.

The work has taken longer than originally planned. The project had initially been expected to wrap up in September 2025 but experienced several delays.

Transportation officials now say the contractor plans to complete the second half of the bridge, remove the temporary traffic signals, and reopen the roadway to normal two-way traffic by the end of May 2026.