Crews are sandbagging along I-55 just south of Meramec Bottom Road and north of Arnold in an effort to keep floodwaters from the Meramec River from coming over the interstate, said Judy Wagner, area engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation, at about 4:15 p.m. today (Dec. 30).
“We’re hoping to keep it from going under,” she said. “Our goal is to keep it (the interstate) open.”
MoDOT has already closed the right lane of southbound I-55 just north of Arnold so crews can sandbag there, Wagner said.
She said Hwy. 61-67 just north of the Meramec River bridge is expected to be under water and closed either late tonight or early Thursday (Dec. 31).
Already, traffic is limited there to just one lane each way, Wagner said.
As a result, traffic is snarled in the area, especially since there are other closures in the area, including Hwy. 21 at Hwy. 141 west of Arnold.