Metro-east commuters can expect closures on the MLK Bridge

Motorists who use the MLK Bridge in East St. Louis will have to deal with multiple lane closures beginning Monday as work crews conduct routine inspections on the bridge, the Illinois Department of Transportation said.

Here’s the closure schedule:

• Eastbound, closed 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 16-18
• Westbound, closed 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 19-20
• Right lane eastbound, closed 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 23-27.

Eastbound commuters also will contend with lane closures.

A well-traveled exit from Interstate 70 to Interstate 64 in East St. Louis is shut down indefinitely, meaning commuters headed east across the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge need to find a different route.

The Illinois Department of Transportation closed the exit ramp earlier this summer because of a joint that failed “catastrophically,” said Joseph Monroe, an operations engineer with IDOT. Repairs likely won’t begin before next year. It’s not certain when it will reopen.

For more information from the agency, go to @IDOTDistrict8 on X, formerly known as Twitter, or to the agency’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.