The Missouri Department of Transportation is again urging motorists to avoid eastbound Interstate 70 just north of downtown as crews continue emergency repair work on the highway.
A 10 foot by 15-foot sewer line collapsed early Sunday morning, causing extensive damage to the interstate. The two right lines of eastbound I-70 between Shreve and West Florissant are closed, as is the entrance ramp from Shreve to the highway.
MoDOT's Kara Price says crews have finished removing the damaged section of pavement and started pouring concrete to fill the hole. She says crews have made a lot of progress in a short amount of time.
"Between getting the highway closed, getting the sewer lines repaired on MSD's part, and then on our part getting the pavement removed and getting some of the concrete poured," she said.
Price doesn't know how long repairs will take. She says traffic was backed up for almost two miles on Monday morning.
And city building and health department officials were north St. Louis today examining the homes damaged by massive flash flooding over the weekend.
Twelve homes along Dryden Court and Essex Place had to be evacuated. Residents say water filled their basements in an hour.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Francis Slay says the city doesn't know how long the evacuations will last, but says building inspectors don't expect to find much structural damage. She says many of the homes don't have gas or electric service, though residents are allowed to come and go. Police set up a special patrol to deter looting.
