VALLEY PARK, Mo. — Flooding has forced Illinois and Missouri transportation departments to close roads on both sides of the bistate.
Thursday morning as drivers approached the intersection of Interstate 44 and Route 141 in Valley Park they were greeted by signs warning them that water would close the road for the foreseeable future.
“It’s a slow rise of water,” MoDOT Engineer Bob Becker said. “Where you run into problems is where a creek comes out of its banks and it’s fast moving water.”
Becker told 5 On Your Side the flooding at I-44 & Route 141 was coming from the Meramec River, which isn’t expected to crest until Friday.
Across the river in Illinois, IDOT was forced to close U.S. Route 50 between O’Fallon and Lebanon due to flooding from a nearby creek.
“Sometimes in that area because it’s so low some of the driftwood and other debris that’s roaring down that waterway will get hung up on the guardrail,” IDOT Engineer Joe Monroe said.
Though engineers on both sides of the river know the flood water will eventually recede they told 5 On Your Side that reopening the road isn’t as simple as removing the barricades.
“We want to make sure it’s closed and buttoned up because we want to make sure we’re taking a look at it as we’re cleaning it up and make sure it’s safe,” Monroe said.
“Typically, there’s debris in the roadway or mud and we have to get it all off,” Becker said.
“We make sure there’s no erosion, no holes in the pavement, or no damage to the guardrail,” Monroe said.
Flooding is common where these closures are in place.
“It’s a low point in the area,” Becker said.
Engineers from both IDOT and MoDOT said fixing the problem isn’t as easy as adding more drainage or simply raising the road.
“The more hard surfaces we have the faster that water gets somewhere, and it changes where that water comes up at down the creek or down the river somewhere,” Becker said. “That’s something we always look at.”
“You have to take all of the variables into consideration and realize that road may be closed 18 hours,” Monroe said. “What’s the risk of doing something differently?”
IDOT expects to reopen US 50 between O'Fallon and Lebanon sometime Friday morning.
MoDOT expects the closure at Route 141 and I-44 to last through the weekend.