Tagged: Mississippi River Bridge

Workers threaten to shut down construction on Mississippi River bridge

A group that's trying to get more construction jobs for minority workers says it'll shut down work on a new Mississippi River bridge near St. Louis. The Metro East Black Contractors Organization says it's meeting with the director of the Illinois Department of Transportation on Friday. The group says it'll shut down work on Monday if the meeting isn't satisfactory.

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The moderate flooding along the Mississippi River at St. Louis is costing crews building the piers for the new bridge a couple of days of work a week.

MoDOT project manager Greg Horn said workers are still out on the piers six days a week, 20 hours a day. But the flooding - the river is about five feet above flood stage - means crews can only work at about 60 percent efficiency.

Officials with the Missouri Department of Transportation say work on the Poplar Street Bridge will start this spring and continue into the fall.

The work will involve resurfacing the bridge deck and will result in lane closures and traffic delays.

Deanna Venker is an area engineer for MoDOT.  She says the work could not be delayed until the completion of the new Mississippi River bridge in 2014.