Two eastbound lanes to close on Jefferson Barracks Bridge for two weeks
Drivers heading into Illinois from Missouri will want to avoid using Interstate 255 during weekdays for the next two weeks as crews will close lanes on the Jefferson Barracks Bridge that connects Monroe County to South St. Louis County.
Two eastbound lanes across the bridge over the Mississippi River will close for road work between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily Monday through Thursday during the weeks of Aug. 5 and Aug. 12, the Missouri Department of Transportation announced in a press release Wednesday.
Lanes will be open for evening rush hour, the release stated. Crews will be making repairs to an expansion joint on the bridge during this period.
In addition to those two lanes, the bridge will be completely closed overnight between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17 and Sunday, Aug. 18, the release stated. All eastbound traffic will have to exit at Koch Road.
MoDot suggested drivers use the Poplar Street Bridge or the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge to avoid weekday congestion, and as an alternative during the weekend closure.
In May, the bridge the westbound lanes of the J.B. Bridge were reopened after laboratory tests revealed the bridge was safe for travelers.
The westbound lanes crossing the Jefferson Barracks Bridge were closed after crews found 6-foot “critical” cracks in the structure of the bridge during a scheduled inspection. The cracks were found on parts of the steel beams that connect the arches holding the bridge above the Mississippi River.
Earlier this month, the Missouri and Illinois departments of transportation closed a few lanes of the Poplar Street Bridge for repairs. The project was to be completed Monday.
This story was originally published July 31, 2019 at 1:47 PM.
.jpg)