By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis – Many river towns in Missouri and Illinois are breathing a sigh of relief that flooding won't be as bad as expected this week.
High water has closed some roads and highways but rivers are cresting lower than predicted after Sunday's Hurricane Ike-fueled rains.
In Illinois, state Route 100 is completely closed between U.S. 67 in Alton and Route 16 north of Nutwood.
Local access to Grafton, Elsah and Chautauqua is available by state Route 3.
But towns along the Meramec River in eastern Missouri have been spared major flooding this time.
However the Coast Guard has closed most of the Missouri River between St. Louis and Kansas City to recreational boating, as well as the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau and between Clarksville and Saverton, Mo.
But both big rivers remain open to commercial traffic.