RISING RIVER STOPS WORK ON BRIDGE

The flood-swollen Mississippi River has put a temporary halt to construction of a pier for the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge at Cape Girardeau, state highway officials said Tuesday.

High water has plagued the project in recent weeks, forcing the contractor, Traylor Brothers Inc. of Evansville, Ind., to cut back on construction of the pier in the middle of the river.

High water and strong currents allow for only one barge working instead of two, said Stan Johnson, Missouri Department of Transportation area engineer. Construction crews work from barges at the pier site.

On Tuesday, construction crews quit working on the river pier entirely. Johnson said the river is expected to crest at 35 feet this week, 3 feet above flood stage.

Johnson said it's likely that work on the pier won't resume until after Memorial Day.