Bridge Replacement Closes Highway 81 East of Beetown

A replacement of the Hackett Branch bridge means Highway 81 between Lancaster and Cassville, east of Beetown, is closed now until mid-September. The project will include a new bridge, guardrail and roadway approaches. A marked detour to get to Cassville is Highway 35 to Bloomington and then Highway 133 to Cassville. According to the Grant County Highway department, the detour is recommended on State Highways because County Highways and Township Roads are not necessarily designed to handle the heavier traffic the state highways receive. The highway department says, as with any road closure, be alert and courteous to the construction workers as well as the homeowners along the detour route.