Colbern Road Ribbon Cutting: A Milestone for Growth and Connectivity in Lee’s Summit
October 20, 2025
On Friday, the Clarkson team joined City of St. Joseph Mayor Larry Miller, the Missouri Department of Transportation, local officials, project partners, and community members to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the new Gene Field Road Bridge over I-29. Just one day later, the bridge officially opened to the public ahead of schedule.
The milestone marks the successful completion of a fast-tracked replacement project that began after the original bridge was struck by an oversized load in November 2025, resulting in its emergency closure. Construction on the replacement bridge began in February 2026 with the goal of restoring this important connection for the St. Joseph community as quickly and safely as possible.
In addition to replacing the damaged structure, the project widened the ridge, installed a new driving surface, and added pedestrian sidewalks on both the north and south sides, providing a safer and more accessible crossing.
Throughout construction, the project team was encouraged by the support of nearby residents and the traveling public. Neighbors shared messages through social media, emails, handwritten notes, and conversations with crews, expressing their appreciation for the progress being made and the hard work taking place each day:
These serve as a meaningful reminder of the impact infrastructure projects have on the communities they serve and the pride our employees take in delivering work that improves everyday life.
Clarkson Construction extends its sincere thanks to the St. Joseph community for its patience throughout construction and congratulates the project team in reaching this important milestone. We are proud to have played a role in restoring this vial connection and helping keep Missouri moving.
