A well-worn northeast Missouri bridge is set to be replaced.

It's the span on Highway 6 that crosses the Chariton River, about a half-mile east of Novinger city limits.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) isn't releasing a lot of specifics just yet, but the project is on the agency’s schedule for next year.

Area Engineer Amy Crawford said the new bridge will be 34 feet wide, which is eight feet wider than the existing span.

Engineers say Highway 6 will have to be closed at the bridge two separate times during the project.

Thousands of cars and trucks cross the Chariton River bridge every day.

Hundreds of people from Kirksville and surrounding areas travel over it twice a day going to and from work at the Smithfield Foods plant in Milan.

While the bridge may not look too bad from up above, if you take a look underneath it, you can see lots of rust and corrosion from road salt that's happened over the past many years.

In some places, the concrete is crumbling away so badly that you can see the rebar.

Next Thursday, October 6, 2022, will be your chance to learn all about the bridge replacement.

MoDOT is holding an open-house-style meeting at the Novinger Fire Station.

Engineers will be on hand to answer all your questions.

There will be no formal presentation. You can drop by anytime between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on October 6.

There will be various displays explaining the project.

MoDOT said all information available at the public meeting will be made available online on October 6.