ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – For the past few weeks, the 5,000 motorists who use U.S. Route 59 south of St. Joseph each day, had to find a different route to reach their destination.

What was originally planned as a 30-day closure to tie the new, wider, safer Bankers Crossing Bridge into the existing roadway had to be extended due to weather. The road has been closed since Monday, July 13. Contractors plan to open the new Bankers Crossing Bridge to all traffic later this evening.

The bridge replacement project began earlier this year as contractors built a new, wider bridge alongside the old bridge, which was built in 1936, was only 24-feed wide with no shoulders, was structurally deficient, and had limited sight distance due to the curve of the roadway. The new bridge is wider, has added shoulders for safety, and realigns the roadway.