The outdated Champ Clark Bridge at Louisiana will be closed this fall for expansion joint repairs.

Exact dates have not been set because the state is still waiting for the contractor to have parts made. Once the work begins, the span will be shut down for a week.

The state says the bridge is safe, but has enacted weight limits after an inspection showed what engineers called structural deficiencies.

The new restriction is 80,000 pounds or less and will affect large truck traffic, which will have to detour through Hannibal or St. Louis.

At 86, the bridge is the oldest non-updated structure still used for auto traffic on the Mississippi River between St. Paul and St. Louis.

Estimated cost of a new structure is 40 million to 60 million dollars, with Missouri and Illinois splitting the bill.

Pre-construction work already is under way, and a final site selection is expected next year. While the state considers the project a priority, it doesn’t have the money for construction.