By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – MO-DOT says commuters should consider avoiding the Blanchette Bridge. Two lanes on the eastbound bridge will be closed for several weeks because crews Tuesday found five cracks on the structure.
But MO-DOT's Mike Fitzpatrick says the bridge is safe. "If it wasn't safe, they'd have closed the whole bridge," Fitzpatrick said.
MO-DOT is also prohibiting trucks weighing more than eight tons from using the eastbound Blanchette. Alternates include using bridges on Highway 40 and Route 370 to get into St. Louis County.
Department spokesman Tom Miller says the cracks are on a steel beam holding the eastbound bridge deck.