At 3:30 a.m. on Monday March 14, St. Louis traffic crews closed the section of Grand Boulevard that lies between Chouteau Avenue and Highway 40. Grand Bridge carries around 30,000 vehicles a day and serves as the main link between the Saint Louis University Frost campus and the Health Sciences campus.

Motorists are being asked to use Chouteau to either Vandeventer or Compton avenues as detour routes. The Grand Boulevard onramps and offramps from Highway 40 will also remain open during this reconstruction.  According to the St. Louis Streets Department, no significant problems have been reported along these routes as of this morning.

The Streets Department are using cameras and spotters to monitor the traffic flow to see where improvements can be made. The traffic is also lighter this week as majority of the Saint Louis University community is on spring break.

Crews will begin removing concrete barriers along the edge of the bridge this week as demolition is scheduled to begin this weekend. It will cost $22 million to reconstruct the Grand Bridge and it is expected to be partially reopened to traffic in 14 months.

Once completed, the new bridge will feature two traffic lanes in each direction and specific turn-out lanes for busses and shuttles to reduce hazards.

The bridge will also have separate bike lanes and a larger walking path allowing students to be able to walk or bike between campuses.

The University is also collaborating with the city on a new streetscape, which will include a landscaped median, new lightning and additional signage.

Check back for further updates on the Grand Bridge closure at unewsonline.com.