Happy Fourth of July!

If you gotta go, go big. This explosive video is two years old, but makes just as big of a bang today.
Happy Fourth of July!

Minimizing Your Headaches

You have enough to worry about this weekend. Between your children running around with lit sparklers, keeping enough snacks and sunscreen on hand for the family picnic or pool gathering, and the lines for leaving the fair after viewing the fireworks downtown, you'll likely need a holiday from your holiday when July 5th rolls around.

We're here to help as much as we can. From noon tomorrow until next Tuesday, MoDOT will limit the amount of work happening on the roads. It's a busy weekend for travelers and we don't want to keep you from your watermelon-eating contest at the fair any longer than necessary.

We can't completely remove the orange cones - you might run into limited construction and lane closures. But we can help there, too -- plan for those by visiting our Traveler Information Map.

Keeping you a bit less frazzled helps us all. Last year 13 people were killed on Missouri roads over the Independence Day holiday. We're asking you to stay safe over the weekend and follow these tips:

• Buckle up - every trip, every time - safety belts save lives!
• Don't drink and drive -- no question, it's just dangerous, no matter how little you've had to drink.
• Slow down, pay attention and stay alert -- just like Barrel Bob says! You can check your cell phone later, and arriving alive is a crucial component of your fourth of July fun.

Have a wonderful Fourth of July!

BOOM!

The cracks, pops and booms that explode each Fourth of July are much like the fireworks that take place when bridges go down with a bang after new, safer structures have been erected.

Missouri has 10,335 bridges on the state system and the most major river bridges in the nation with 53. The average cost to build a major bridge runs from $30 million to $80 million, with some structures costing as much as $300 million. With bridges playing a major role in the state’s transportation system, Missouri has seen a fair share of bridge demolitions.

In the spirit of Independence Day, MoDOT has pulled together a compilation of bridge demolitions. Let the fireworks begin!