Missouri’s Department of Transportation announced Friday that Interstate 44, stretching from the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge to the Poplar Street Bridge, will stay closed while repair strategies are reassessed.
The initial repair plan required materials that were difficult to obtain, which would have extended the highway’s closure considerably. MoDOT stated in its announcement that the Metropolitan Sewer District and St. Louis city officials have chosen an alternative approach to shorten the closure period.
According to MoDOT, revised design plans are currently under review. However, considerable time will be needed before the department can safely reopen the interstate. Additional updates will be provided as details become available.
MoDOT confirmed that the Eads Bridge remains accessible. The following roadways, however, are temporarily closed as a safety precaution:
- I-44 westbound near Tucker Boulevard and the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge. Drivers should exit at Exit 249B toward Tucker. Alternatively, vehicles may use eastbound I-70 to cross the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge, which is open.
- I-44 eastbound at the Poplar Street Bridge. Drivers may proceed eastbound across the Poplar Street Bridge via Exit 291A.
- Eastbound I-70 express lanes at Union Boulevard.
- South Broadway in both directions at Biddle Street.
- The westbound I-64 on-ramp to eastbound I-44 from Illinois.
- Westbound Martin Luther King Bridge traffic from Illinois, with restricted access to the downtown area only.
The closure resulted from a 30-foot-wide sinkhole that formed beneath I-44. The St. Louis Water Division determined that deteriorating water mains and aging water infrastructure caused the collapse.
