ST. LOUIS — Both directions of the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge will be closed for up to two days due to a vacant warehouse fire burning nearby.
According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, the bridge that carries Interstate 70 over the Mississippi River will be closed for up to two days due to the fire. The fire is at a vacant warehouse near the intersection of N Broadway and Mullanphy Street in St. Louis.
MoDOT said drivers can consider using the Chain of Rocks Bridge, McKinley Bridge, MLK Bridge, Eads Bridge, Jefferson Barracks Bridge or the Poplar Street Bridge to cross between Illinois and Missouri.
A MoDOT official said the length of the closure is dependent on how long the fire burns. First responders on the scene Monday night told 5 On Your Side that they were going to let the fire burn and were expecting the roof of the building to collapse overnight or sometime Tuesday morning.
The fire was causing a large amount of smoke to hang over the nearby roadways, resulting in potentially dangerous driving conditions. People were advised to avoid the area if possible.
Capt. Garon Mosby mentioned that smoke could only escape one side of the building.
"That's the only way the smoke can escape the building and that presents a ton of challenges for us," Mosby said.
Fire and EMS crews believe the vacant warehouse had cork inside the walls and that's the reason why it's been burning for nearly 24 hours. Officials also tell 5 On Your Side the vacant warehouse was known to have homeless people, and the building has had numerous fires in the last six months.
