Mississippi River bridge in northeast Missouri faces repairs

LOUISIANA, Mo. (AP) - The Missouri Department of Transportation will shut down a Mississippi River bridge for several days later this month for repairs.

MoDOT says the Champ Clark Bridge at Louisiana needs 1,500 new rivets to replace rivets that have rusted. The problem was found during a yearly inspection of the narrow, two-lane, 87-year-old bridge.

Plans call for the bridge to close during daylight hours from Oct. 19 through Oct. 22, and Oct. 26 through Oct. 29. Additional closures are possible in November if the work isn't finished this month.

The state wants to eventually replace the bridge. A new structure would cost about $60 million. Illinois has come up with its share of the money, but Missouri has not.