Emerson Bridge to be reduced to one lane Thursday

The eastbound lanes of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge will be reduced to one lane starting Thursday and continuing through July 23. Repairs will take place from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The work is to make emergency repairs to a conduit damaged when a crane atop a towboat struck the underside of the bridge Monday. The conduit powered the bridge's aesthetic lighting. The roadway lighting and the navigational lights on the bridge are still working; only the aesthetic lighting is not functioning. Mike Helpingstine, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Transportation, said a traveler rail underneath the structure used for inspection purposes was also damaged, which would make repairs more difficult. MoDOT did not have a cost estimate for the project as of Tuesday.