By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Geologists will begin drilling in the Mississippi River next week to gather information for the construction of a new bridge in St. Louis.
Missouri Department of Transportation spokesman Andrew Gates says crews need to determine the depth of the river's bedrock in order to design the bridge's piers.
"We need to know what we're putting the bridge on, you know, what our foundation is, as we get ready to design the project and then put it out for bid," Gates said.
Gates says the drilling will continue for about a month.
Construction of the new 4-6 lane, $640 million bridge is expected to begin in 2010.