ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Department of Transportation announced Monday that the Bates Street exit ramp from southbound Interstate 55 will be closed for an indefinite period.
According to a press release, the ramp and Michigan Avenue south of Fassen Street are closed due to a pavement collapse. Bates Street remains open.
MoDOT and officials were evaluating the pavement collapse and working to determine what actions need to take place before the ramp can be reopened. MoDOT said it wasn't sure what caused the pavement to collapse as of Monday night.
Drivers who use the Bates Street exit ramp can detour to Loughborough Avenue, turn left and follow Loughborough to South Broadway. Drivers can then turn left and follow South Broadway to Bates Street.
"It usually has to do with historic utilities lines, something like that," said St. Louis City Area Engineer Jen Wade, "which might be washed out or a hole in something. We really have to bring everyone to the field to take a look and see what's going on."
The MoDOT Maintenance Team found a sinkhole on the ramp the morning of Jan. 29 in the left lane, possibly encroaching on the right. It's a potentially major problem, which is why they decided to close the ramp completely.
Crews were out all day Monday assessing the situation. When we asked, they weren't yet sure how extensive the damage was or how much repairs may cost. Yet, they're hoping for a quick turnaround since they said it likely has to do with utility lines.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District said this area is not part of their infrastructure, though they did get a call about the sinkhole around 2 p.m. on Monday.
MoDOT is still figuring out who owns the utility line it is so that whichever organization it ends up being can help them repair it to put less pressure on traffic flow, considering their current construction project on I-55 is already keeping multiple lanes closed around the clock.
"This isn't necessarily something that we'd be able to fix with routine road projects," Wade said. "It is something that happens in older cities. We've definitely seen this before in the city of St. Louis."
While MoDOT continues to investigate what caused the sinkhole, they do predict it could take a few weeks to fix, meaning the Bates ramp could be closed until mid-February.
They're asking St. Louis drivers to plan for extra time in that area on the roads.
Click here for the latest traffic conditions across the St. Louis area.
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