PLATTE COUNTY, Mo -The Missouri Department of Transportation marked a milestone this week when the department completed the 100th bridge under the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program.

The public is invited to join Governor Jay Nixon, MoDOT, Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, state and county officials for an official ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. on the Route E Bridge over the Platte River, northeast of Platte City.

"The Safe & Sound program is an aggressive initiative to improve some of our worst bridges. We would like to thank the many motorists who have been patient and inconvenienced as we closed the road to complete these bridges as quickly as possible. This is the most cost-effective way to improve so many bridges in need of repair," said Beth Wright, MoDOT District Engineer.

"We made a commitment to Missourians that we would improve hundreds of the state's worst bridges, and we are delivering on that promise," said MoDOT Director Pete Rahn. "MoDOT is addressing more bridges than we ever have before thanks to the Safe & Sound initiative."

Immediately after the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved the Safe & Sound program on Sept. 18, 2008, MoDOT went to work and had the first bridges under construction within five months.

"Once we commit to a project, it's full steam ahead," Rahn said. "We went to work immediately to get 100 of these projects designed, and under construction in record time because Missourians simply deserve better bridges."

There are 10,249 bridges on Missouri's state highway system, the seventh largest total in the nation.  Approximately 1,200 of them are in poor or serious condition. The Safe & Sound initiative will address the 802 worst bridges and is scheduled to be complete by Oct. 31, 2014. The total cost of the program is estimated at $700 million.

For more information about Safe & Sound or any transportation projects, visit MoDOT's Web site at www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity. For regular updates or to leave comments, follow MoDOT_KC on Twitter or e-mail at kccommunityrelations@modot.mo.com.