Officials: Ill. routes 3, 146 and Bill Emerson Bridge closed

Route 3 near McClure, Illinois, and Route 146 in Alexander County, Illinois, closed at 7 p.m. Friday because of high water from Mississippi River flooding, according to Illinois Department of Transportation on Friday. It also forced the closure of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge — allowing local traffic only — for the first time.

Warning signs are installed to inform motorists of the closure. The routes will remain closed until the floodwaters recede from the area.

IDOT operations engineer Keith Miley said Friday water is roughly 8 inches deep at Route 3 near McClure.

And that’s just getting to the point where “we’re not comfortable,” he said, adding it’s going to be too dangerous for some motorists.

Residents within the East Cape Girardeau, Illinois, area will still have access to Cape Girardeau though, “unless we end up having traffic control problems.”

“But right now, we don’t anticipate that,” he said.

It’s a historically rare occurrence that the highways are closing.

Resurfacing work in 1983 raised the roadways 3 feet. Illinois transportation officials said in 1983 the highway flooding was a persistent problem, creating “permanent headaches” for maintenance departments to keep the roads open. At the time, the raising of the roadway was considered a “permanent solution to the flooding problem.”

As for the immediate term, residents in McClure will be able to exit to the north on Route 3, Miley said, adding he’s been coordinating with MoDOT for the past few days.

Traffic also will be directed to Interstate 57 and through Cairo, Illinois, to Interstate 55, he said.

“Our hope is MoDOT will open the Chester Bridge [on Saturday], because it’s been closed for quite a while,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of that traffic down here.”

A van splashes through floodwaters covering the road on Route 146 on Thursday in East Cape Girardeau, Illinois.Kassi Jackson ~ Southeast Missourian

Regional Express courier service dispatcher Ricky Cardwell said he was able to get through the day, but the closures will impact business “slightly Monday” if the Chester Bridge doesn’t reopen.

“We’re going to have to go down the other route, through Charleston through (Interstate) 57,” Cardwell said, adding drivers must always have a plan B in trucking.

But if everything works out well, and the inspection goes well, Miley said, “there’s a real good chance [the Chester Bridge will] open sometime tomorrow afternoon,” allowing for one more access point.

McClure Mayor Cheryle Dillon said Thursday the only way an evacuation for the town would be put in effect is if one of the levees breaks.

And according to Miley, crews are on-site at all times, flagging traffic as needed and continuing to monitor water elevations.

In the case of an evacuation of the area, either Dillon or the fire station will make the call.

On Friday, Southeast Missouri State University said residence hall space will be made available in Vandiver Hall at no cost to Southeast employees who commute from Illinois and are affected by the read closures.

Linens are available through the Office of Residence Life, but employees must provide their own food, personal care items and toiletries.