U.S. 60/62 bridge over Mississippi River to close for a year

(KFVS) - The U.S. 60/62 bridge over the Mississippi River will be closed to all traffic for a year.

According to a release from the Illinois Department of Transportation, the closure is scheduled for Monday, October 2, 2023 through Oct. 1, 2024.

Crews will be making “major structural repairs” to the bridge.

According to Doug Helfrich, IDOT District 9 project implementation engineer, those repairs will be made to more than 100 joints on the bridge.

The project will cost more than $5 million. The bridge was built in the 1920s; and Helfrich said a bridge of this age will need repairs.

“Of course you can’t do that in stage construction, the bridge has to be totally closed. It’s not a capacity or a strength issue for the bridge, it’s more of a rideability issue for the traveling public,” he added.

According to IDOT, a marked detour will be in place and additional message boards and informational signs will also be used. IDOT leaders are urging the public to use I-57 as a detour.

You can click here to check the IDOT Traveler Map.

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