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All of the street, bridge and interstate improvements planned for downtown St. Louis are on track to be finished on time.  That was the message from Missouri and Illinois transportation engineers when they briefed the East-West Gateway Council of Governments Wednesday.  

   High water on the Mississippi River has caused some delays for crews building the new River Bridge, but project officials say the work continues and they still expect to finish by early next year.  

   Some of the other projects planned for downtown St. Louis over the next two years include the park that will cap the I-70 depressed lanes, new ramps connecting I-70 and I-55 to the Poplar Street Bridge and a year-long resurfacing project on the MLK bridge.

All of the street, bridge and interstate improvements planned for downtown St. Louis are on track to be finished on time.  That was the message from Missouri and Illinois transportation engineers when they briefed the East-West Gateway Council of Governments Wednesday.  

   High water on the Mississippi River has caused some delays for crews building the new River Bridge, but project officials say the work continues and they still expect to finish by early next year.  

   Some of the other projects planned for downtown St. Louis over the next two years include the park that will cap the I-70 depressed lanes, new ramps connecting I-70 and I-55 to the Poplar Street Bridge and a year-long resurfacing project on the MLK bridge.

The city of St. Louis is closing several flood gates to keep the Mississippi River out of the city after heavy rain swept through the region on Thursday.

The St. Louis City Streets Department began closing and raising the gates Friday morning as the river is expected to crest on Wednesday at 39.5 feet.

Officials closed four gates Friday and erected the gates at Poplar Street and Carr Street along Lenore K. Sullivan Boulevard.

City officials said crews would continue to shut gates throughout the weekend. They said the schedule could change depending on the latest forecasts and needs of businesses impacted by the rising river.

One of the biggest hotels in downtown St. Louis is all but shutting down during the busy summer season. The Millennium hotel will close about 600 of their 870 guest rooms for remodeling.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the project had been scheduled to begin this fall, but was pushed up to spring instead. Hotel officials aren't saying why they changed the dates of the planned redo.

The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission told the paper they'll work with the hotel to relocate some meetings that had been scheduled for the Millennium.