A portion of Highway 169 near the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport was closed last week after a potentially dangerous structural issue was located.
The Missouri Department of Transportation closed the northbound Hwy. 169 viaduct bridge over the BSNF Railroad tracks on Tuesday, Dec. 16. The full closure will remain in place until further evaluation and repairs can be completed.
The closure is reportedly due to a failed expansion joint in the northbound lanes. The northbound Hwy. 169 viaduct bridge was scheduled to be replaced this summer after the 2026 World Cup.
Motorists traveling on southbound Hwy. 169 are not impacted, but for northbound travelers, the following closures and impacts are in place:
Access to the downtown airport will be maintained on northbound Hwy. 169 through an access lane across the Buck O’Neil Bridge beginning at 5th Street and Broadway Ave.
Airport traffic traveling on northbound Hwy. 169 will be required to exit at Harlem Road.
All ramps from Richards Road to northbound Hwy. 169 will be closed.
The ramp from northbound I-35 to northbound Hwy. 169 will be closed.
Traffic will be required to utilize southbound Hwy. 169 when leaving the downtown airport.
Motorists traveling on northbound Hwy. 169 are encouraged to utilize Highway 9 and Interstate 29/35 to navigate around the closure.