Flooded routes 3, 146 in Illinois could reopen by weekend

The Illinois Department of Transportation may be able to reopen parts of Illinois routes 3 and 146 by this weekend as floodwaters that have covered the roadways most of the month continue to recede.

Meanwhile, the Alexander County Highway Department was able to reopen Grapevine Trail between McClure and Tamms, Illinois, on Monday afternoon.

IDOT District 9 chief of operations Keith Miley said at the rate water is draining from the waterlogged county, crews could start clearing flood debris from parts of Route 3 and Route 146 as early as today or Thursday.

“The water is dropping an inch or two a day now that the floodgates are open,” Miley said. At that rate, he said it could be possible to open one lane of traffic on Route 3 between Route 146 and McClure and two of the four lanes of Route 146 between East Cape Girardeau and Route 3 by Friday or Saturday of this week. “I think that’s the best-case scenario,” he said.

The highway between East Cape Girardeau and McClure has been closed since early July. Route 3 between Route 146 and Gale, Illinois, has been closed even longer and won’t reopen until several days after the roadway between East Cape Girardeau and McClure reopens to traffic because it has a lower elevation.

Miley said there were still 7 or 8 inches of water over parts of the highways as of Tuesday afternoon. In other areas, where the water has receded, he said silt left behind by the floodwaters has obscured the highway centerlines, which will require IDOT to clean the pavement.

North of McClure, Miley said water that had covered parts of Route 3 has completely receded.

“The highway is now dry from the barricade on the south side of McClure north to the Union County line,” he reported.

The Mississippi River, which has been at or above Cape Girardeau’s 32-foot flood stage since March 13, stood at 35 feet Tuesday afternoon. The National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, forecasts it will hold steady at about 35 feet for the next two or three days before dropping 3 feet next week and falling below 32 feet Aug 4 or 5.