Emergency repairs closed the Champ Clark Bridge at Louisiana for most of the day yesterday.

A hole in an expansion joint near the center line of the bridge deck forced the closure. The hole was patched Wednesday, but didn’t last.

The 88-year-old structure has needed significant repairs in the last five years and is on the state’s priority list for replacement.

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission is expected to announce May 11 whether funding is available for a new crossing, which would be built just to the south of the current bridge.

A public hearing on the location is tentatively scheduled for June.