Stoddard County, Missouri - The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 9 to discuss upcoming improvements to the Route U bridge over the St. Francis River Overflow in Butler and Stoddard Counties. The meeting will be held at Qulin Middle School, located at 406 Connecticut Street in Qulin, Mo.

"Visitors can stop-by anytime between 4 and 6 p.m. to discuss the details of the project with a member of the project team and provide their comments," said Project Manager Jason Williams.

The project includes replacing the deck of the Route U bridge. The bridge will close for six to eight weeks as construction is underway, weather permitting. Additional details regarding the contractor’s schedule will be released prior to the start of construction. Completion is anticipated in late 2017 or early 2018.

The improved bridge will be 24-feet wide - two feet wider than the existing structure.

For more information, please contact Williams at (573) 472-5290, Transportation Project Designer Jeff Wachter at (573) 472-5295 or MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK MODOT (275-6636). To view the meeting handout or comment on this project, please attend the online meeting available at: www.modot.org/southeast/news_and_information/public_meetings.