07.13.2009 1:33 pm

Lane closures on I-70’s Blanchette Bridge

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Missouri Department of Transportation closed three of five lanes on westbound Interstate 70 at the Blanchette Bridge today for emergency repairs.

Crews are repairing a crack found in a secondary steel support beam, similar in nature to one that was fixed about two months ago. It was discovered during an inspection. Lanes will be reopened before Tuesday morning rush hour, according to MoDOT.

“We want to assure motorists that the bridge is safe for travel,” said Ed Hassinger, district engineer, in an issued statement. “The lane restrictions are required to give our crews room to safely make the repairs.”

The Blanchette Bridge is between St. Charles and St. Louis counties, over the Missouri River. Expect delays.

Here are detour details from MoDOT: Crews will also close the northbound I-270 ramp to westbound I-70 this afternoon. Motorists are advised to use westbound Interstate 64 to westbound I-70, northbound I-270 to westbound Highway 370, or southbound I-270 to Highway 364 (Page Avenue) as detours. Motorists leaving Busch Stadium for the Home Run Derby are urged to take alternate routes.

Tags: Blanchette Bridge, bridge repair, Interstate 70

14 comments

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Blog Comments: Rules of the Road

Secondary steel supports are not supposed to crack under normal strain. And this is hardly the first instance of structural issues with this bridge. Perhaps MoDOT should spend a few bucks and see if the design of this bridge is strong as it is supposed to be before this thing does a Minneapolis-like dive into the river…

— Tim

2:22 pm July 13th, 2009

Tim, I believe that is what they are doing. Duh!!!

— beleze

2:57 pm July 13th, 2009

“We want to assure motorists that the bridge is safe for travel,” said Ed Hassinger, district engineer, in an issued statement.

…with fingers crossed behind back.

— AJ

3:05 pm July 13th, 2009

beleze, all tim was saying is that the same thing was said about the minn bridge too…..a little kindness goes a long way

— ken

3:57 pm July 13th, 2009

Isn’t this what happened a few weeks ago, too??

— jb

4:06 pm July 13th, 2009

Are we sure that this isn’t where the Black contractor protesters are going to be? I hope they’re not lying to us…

— onlythetruth

4:21 pm July 13th, 2009

I remember talking to someone about 20 years ago who predicted this kind of thing would happen. Apparently there had been a dark cloud over the construction of the bridge. I don’t know anything about it except it has had it’s share of problems in recent years. Makes you kind of wonder if my old buddy Ed was right.

— StorminNorman

5:08 pm July 13th, 2009

I hope MODOT is taking a good look at this bridge. Evidently these cracks are appearing pretty rapidly.

— CPatrick

5:27 pm July 13th, 2009

White contractors have more work because the contracts are being awarded on a race based system that favors white contractors. Competition is not fare - neither is sub-contracting. Whites contractors do not do better work than Black contractors. But the MO Redneck Coalition (MOREC) that frequents these blogs already understands this. They understand that they are unfairly receiving the bulk of the contracts BECAUSE they are white - this is nothing more than white privilege. What is silly and actually funny is to read all this trash about Blacks not doing good work submitted by the very people who are benefiting from the unfair competition. Nothing brings a smile to my face like reading the comments of a bunch of privileged, inbred wanna be confederate ingrates.

— Othello

7:41 pm July 13th, 2009

what about Obama tues freeway times and closures?
what up with Boyle eastbound 40 closure?

— billhaas

7:51 pm July 13th, 2009

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Lane closures on I-70’s Blanchette Bridge

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