IDOT: MLK Bridge scheduled to reopen Monday

The Illinois Department of Transportation plans to reopen the Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge over the Mississippi River in East St. Louis on Monday.

The MLK bridge is scheduled to be reopened by 6 a.m. Monday. Additionally, the ramp from St. Clair Avenue to westbound Interstate 55/64 will be reopened at the same time, IDOT said.

The bridge had been closed since July for repairs and resurfacing.

In preparation of the reopening, one lane of westbound I-55/64 is scheduled to be closed between St. Clair Avenue and Third Street between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. beginning on Wednesday. The work is expected to be completed by Friday, and is required to remove traffic-control devices prior to reopening the MLK bridge, IDOT said.

After the MLK bridge is reopened to traffic, periodic temporary closures of the bridge are planned during the next several months to complete minor work items and remove scaffolding, IDOT said. Any additional closures are planned to be limited to weekends and weekday off-peak traffic hours.

This story was originally published December 15, 2015 at 2:58 PM with the headline "IDOT: MLK Bridge scheduled to reopen Monday."