BRIDGE REPAIR, INSPECTIONS TO CONTINUE

Repair work and inspections of the Mississippi River Bridge at Cape Girardeau will continue next week.

Both lanes will be closed Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Traffic will be reduced to one lane two hours preceding and following the closure.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Delays of 10 to 15 minutes can be expected.

The Missouri Department of Transportation closed the bridge Wednesday while workers repaired a floor beam

"Yesterday's work was quite successful, and now we are gearing up for some similar repairs next week," said Randy Hitt, MoDOT area engineer.

Crews will be working next week to complete repairs on another floor beam located on a different span near the center of the bridge.

"I want to stress that the bridge is safe," Hitt said. "We are taking a preventative approach to our repair work on the structure."

All work is dependent on weather conditions.

During the closure, motorists should take alternative routes. Message boards will be placed on both sides of the bridge alerting motorists to the closure times.