33,000 use Musial bridge on first weekday

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. -- The Illinois Department of Transportation says about 33,000 vehicles crossed the new Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge during the first weekday it was open.

IDOT district engineer Joseph Monroe told the Belleville News-Democrat the number from Monday is about what officials expected. But he says it may take weeks or months to get an idea of how much traffic will cross the bridge between St. Louis and East St. Louis every day.

The bridge carries Interstate 70 traffic across the Mississippi River between Illinois and St. Louis. Projections used when it was proposed estimated daily volume would be about 40,000 cars and trucks.

Monroe says traffic flowed pretty smoothly Monday aside from minor backups during the peak of the morning rush hour.