RIVER BRIDGE DELAYS CONTINUE

Repair and maintenance work on the Mississippi River bridge connecting Cape Girardeau and Southern Illinois will continue to impede traffic through the area until Thursday.

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, bridge traffic will be limited by periods of one-lane travel through most of the week, including a temporary bridge closing on Wednesday.

"To minimize the inconvenience to motorists, we want to go ahead and make the repairs in one continuous cycle versus starting and stopping several times," said Randy Hitt, area engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The work schedule:

-- Monday, traffic will be limited to one lane from 12:30-5 p.m.

-- Tuesday, one lane will be open to traffic from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

-- Wednesday, the bridge will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It will be open to one lane two hours prior to and after the closing.

-- Thursday, traffic will be limited to one lane from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

Motorists should expect 15 minute delays. Message boards will be placed on both sides of the bridge reminding motorists of the closure times.

By limiting traffic, work crews will be able to work on floor beams and continue inspection and maintenance repair.

"I want to stress that we are in a preventative mode and addressing the small cracks now, before they are in need of more extensive repairs down the road," Hitt said.