Blanchette Bridge Imploded

Second blast scheduled for after Thanksgiving.

FOX2 VIDEO: Blanchette Bridge Blast Shuts Down Traffic

The Missouri Department of Transportation shut down traffic on Sunday on the Blanchette Bridge so that crews could implode a section of the bridge.

Crews shut down the entire Blanchette Bridge in St. Charles for about an hour Sunday while a portion of the westbound span of the bridge was detonated. A second blast is planned for after Thanksgiving and will be visible from the St. Charles riverfront. The Blanchette Bridge is undergoing major reconstruction that's expected to last until fall 2013. "This is vital work that we need to do to keep I-70 a viable cross country corridor, but we can do that in a way that will keep the businesses functioning and get commuters to work," MoDOT Area Engineer Ed Hassinger said. "We're going to do this really fast." 

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Drivers: Avoid Blanchette Bridge Construction Traffic, Find New Routes

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is encouraging drivers to find alternate routes to avoid traffic delays during the 12-month construction of the Blanchette Bridge.

Drivers may want to find alternate routes to avoid traffic delays during the upcoming 12-month reconstruction of the Blanchette Bridge. In two weeks, crews will begin repair work by closing the westbound span of the bridge. Starting that Nov. 2, westbound I-70 traffic will be detoured to the eastbound I-70 bridge lanes for 12 months, with three lanes for eastbound and three lanes for westbound traffic. Immediately off the end of the bridge, there will be pavement in the median to move the three westbound lanes back over to the normal westbound pavement. The entire bridge and parts of I-70 will be closed for an hour during bridge blasts on three different days in November and early December.  MoDOT suggests drivers flex work hours or …

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