Continued local flooding could cause travel delays on major routes this weekend.
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) stated Friday that the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge will close tonight at 7 p.m. Only local traffic will be allowed to cross the bridge into East Cape.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) plans to close Route 146 and Route 3 in their state.
“They’re continuing to see the increase in the elevation of water over there,” says Craig Compas, District Traffic Engineer with MoDOT.
Once motorists cross the bridge, it’s difficult to turn vehicles around due to flooding. He said IDOT is hoping to keep the flow of vehicles from entering into Illinois to prevent this problem.
“As the water’s getting deeper on the road, they’re currently head-to-head traffic over there,” he said.
Motorists who are Missouri residents who need to get back home will still have access to the bridge, Compas said, but they will be the only ones until further notice.