Updated
Updated · St. Louis Post-Dispatch · Jun 14
I-44 Closure in St. Louis Extends Through Next Weekend After 3 Water Mains Trigger Sinkhole
Updated
Updated · St. Louis Post-Dispatch · Jun 14

I-44 Closure in St. Louis Extends Through Next Weekend After 3 Water Mains Trigger Sinkhole

3 articles · Updated · St. Louis Post-Dispatch · Jun 14

Summary

  • Interstate 44 in downtown St. Louis will stay closed through at least next weekend while crews assess damage from a large sinkhole near the Biddle Street off-ramp.
  • Three broken water mains caused the collapse, and St. Louis Water workers were checking Sunday that water flow had fully stopped before further inspection.
  • The sinkhole measures about 20 feet wide, 35 feet long and 15 feet deep, raising concerns about the piers supporting an elevated section of the highway.
  • The closure follows Saturday's broader shutdown of I-44 and I-70 after the cave-in exposed bridge footings, extending a major traffic disruption in the area.

Insights

With its water division nearing insolvency, can St. Louis fix its crumbling infrastructure before the next catastrophic collapse?
A single broken pipe shut down two interstates. What ticking time bombs lie beneath other major American cities?
How can cities balance affordable water rates with the immense cost of preventing infrastructure from collapsing?