Bridge Closure Will Reroute Traffic in St. Louis for a Year

The Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge in St. Louis for the next year, starting on Monday of this week, reports Shahlan Farza.

"Both directions of the bridge over the Mississippi River, connecting St. Louis and East St. Louis, will be shut down as a part of a construction project led by the Illinois Department of Transportation," according to Farza. "The $24.3 million project includes the demolition and replacement of a smaller, nearby bridge that spans I-55 and I-64." The nearby bridge has been deemed structurally deficient.

"The project also includes resurfacing several ramps, updating lighting and sewer systems on the MLK Bridge and repairing seven other nearby bridges," adds Farza.

In the meantime, the Illinois Department of Transportation is encouraging drivers to use alternative routes to and from St. Louis, and to use public transit. "The Illinois Department of Transportation estimates 12,000 drivers cross the MLK Bridge each day, down from 23,000 drivers a day before the opening of the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge in 2014," according to Farza.