BERKELEY, Mo. – Starting 9 a.m. Wednesday, the James S. McDonnell Boulevard Bridge will be closed.
This stretch of road is closing to replace the 73-year-old bridge and to remove the radiation-contaminated soil from the area. The closure will cause rerouting for its 15,000 daily drivers.
“I think it will be an inconvenience for so many travelers. Particularly because it’s the Lindbergh and 67 intersection, it’s still a little scary for a lot of folks right now,” Ashley Bernaugh, resident, said.
The $3.4 million project will also affect an estimated 16,000 Boeing employees, who make up a significant percentage of drivers who take this route daily. Business owners who are near the project, like the owner of Own Diamond, Carter Diamond, believe it will be an inconvenience to businesses.
“It’s pretty much a main road. Especially like its industrial parks all over. So, it’s everybody commuting back and forth…it’s gonna be a big inconvenience,” Diamond said.
St. Louis County states that the demolition of the bridge will take up to three to four weeks. The Army Corps of Engineers states it will take up to 10 months for the removal of the radiation-contaminated soil.
Some drivers are more upset about the contamination waste.
“While I’m glad to see the bridge being replaced for normal and necessary updates, it’s 73 years a little too late for the Army Corps of Engineers to decide, finally, to remediate what’s already been there for 73 years,” Bernaugh said.
Once the contaminated soil is removed, the new bridge will feature two driving lanes in each direction.
