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   SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois transportation officials say they're gearing up for busy roadways this Memorial Day weekend and have a plan to reduce congestion.

   The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Thursday that non-emergency roadwork will be suspended to improve traffic flow at the unofficial start of summer.

   Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider says the move helps ensure safety with the increase of motorists expected on the roads.

   The suspension starts 3 p.m. on Friday through midnight Monday.

   Transportation officials are urging motorists to obey posted speed limits and that posted limits are still in effect for construction zones even if there's no construction in the works.

Road closures are underway on the Chain of Rocks Bridge.

The daily closures are set to run from 9 AM to 7 PM every weekday for the next two weeks. Today and tomorrow, the westbound right lane will be closed. Then through the end of the week, the westbound left lane will be closed.

The closures will move to the eastbound lanes next week. All work and closures are weather permitting, but IDOT hopes to have the work completed by May 17.

Road closures are underway on the Chain of Rocks Bridge.

The daily closures are set to run from 9 AM to 7 PM every weekday for the next two weeks. Today and tomorrow, the westbound right lane will be closed. Then through the end of the week, the westbound left lane will be closed.

The closures will move to the eastbound lanes next week. All work and closures are weather permitting, but IDOT hopes to have the work completed by May 17.

For up to the minute traffic information in the St. Louis metro area, check the KTRS.com traffic tab.

Drivers traveling into other parts of Missouri and Illinois can get information about road conditions from both state's transportation departments.

Missouri drivers can find updated road conditions at the MoDOT website.

Illinois drivers should check the Getting Around Illinois website.

Interstates in the immediate St. Louis area were still partially snow-covered at 3:00 a.m. Monday, but continue to improve.

A light dusting of snow has transportation officials monitoring road temperatures and condtions overnight.

St. Louis County and St. Louis City street crews pre-treated the roads Thursday evening in an effort to prevent any morning rush hour surprises. But both MoDOT and IDOT officials decided to wait and monitor. Both transportation departments say they'll adjust as conditions warrant.

At midnight, road temperature sensors were showing the interstates all above freezing. But drivers are being cautioned to use extra care on elevated roadways, ramps and bridges.

GRANITE CITY, Ill. (AP) - Kraft Foods is weighing whether to spend $40 million to expand a plant if Granite City and state provide about $400,000 to widen a road in front of the site.

The Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis reports the plant produces Capri Sun and Kool-Aid beverages.

As part of the project, the Illinois Department of Transportation would provide $300,000 for the road widening that Kraft calls necessary to allow trucks to turn into the plant.

Granite City Economic Development Director Jonathan Ferry says the matter may go before the city council sometime between April and June.

The Granite City facility became part of Kraft in 1991.

   

A 400 yard stretch of concrete that was recently poured as part of the new Mississippi River Bridge project is now being dug back up. That's because it doesn't meet the Illinois Department of Transportation's code.

IDOT District 8 project implementation leader Jeff Church says the ramp is being torn out and redone because it didn't meet certain safety requirements pertaining to the slope. "The slope that they had was not, high enough," Church said. He said if the slope on a curve isn't high enough, it's hard for cars to stay on the road.

Church told Fox 2 News that the contractor, Fred Weber construction, will absorb the cost of the re-do because it was their mistake. But, he says, it isn't expected to delay completion of the project.

The ramp will connect Illinois drivers to the new Mississippi River bridge when it opens in January 2014.