Weather permitting, beginning the week of October 6, MoDOT and its contractor will close the Champ Clark Bridge on US 54 over the Mississippi River in Pike County for expansion joint repairs. The repairs include the removal and replacement of bridge expansion joints, and miscellaneous concrete work in and around the new expansion joints, and at various locations on the bridge.

MoDOT has scheduled the bridge to be closed to traffic on Monday morning, October 6 beginning at 6 a.m. and reopening on Friday, October 10 before the weekend of the Clarksville Applefest. The contractor will be working or have equipment/material on the bridge 24 hours a day for the duration of the project, therefore it is necessary to close the bridge. Crews will be working at various times day and night to expedite operations until the expansion joints have been installed, and then crews will have to allow curing time for the concrete before the bridge can be opened to traffic. All lanes will be open by the following Friday, weather permitting.

Expansion joints are critical to how a bridge functions allowing it to move with changing weather and traffic loads. Bridge expansion joints are replaced before they fail completely and compromise the integrity of the bridge. Approximately six bridges in northeast Missouri received new expansion joints.

Motorists traveling into Illinois will be detoured over US 61 and 36 to the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge at Hannibal, US 61/24 to the Quincy Bayview Bridge at West Quincy or south to St. Louis. Lighted message signs are being placed on US 36 and 61 at Hannibal, US 61 and 54 near Bowling Green,  and at Atlas, Illinois to advise motorists of the road closure. Motorists will need to follow the detoured routes or consider other local routes to the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge at Hannibal. Concrete Strategies, LLC of St. Louis, MO was the successful bidder on the project at $285,000.

All roadwork is posted on the traveler information map. Those traveling and the commuting public are encouraged to check the online map at www.modot.org daily for new work zones. MoDOT also offers e-update messages sent directly to your email when roadwork is scheduled. For information or comments, please call MoDOT's toll-free customer service number 1-888-ASK MODOT (275-6636) during normal business hours or visit our website at www.modot.org/northeast.