8/10/93

With road and bridge openings, the trip from Hannibal to Quincy, Ill., is getting shorter.

The opening of the Louisiana bridge cut about one hour from the trip by car. People living north of Hannibal also have a shorter trip with the opening of the bridge between Keokuk, Iowa, and Alexandria.

Missouri Route 79 between Hannibal and Louisiana is now open, and U.S. 61/136 is open from Hannibal to Keokuk, Iowa.Highway officials in Missouri and Illinois do not know when the Hannibal or Quincy bridges will reopen. Highway crews cannot pump water from U.S. 24 in West Quincy, or Illinois highways between Quincy and Hannibal, until the Mississippi River reaches technical flood stage.

The river level in Hannibal was at 19.9 feet today. Technical flood stage is 16 feet in Hannibal.

Crews also will have to repair roads damaged by flooding. Among the roads still closed are U.S. 24, Ill. Route 336 and parts of the Central Illinois Expressway.

Until they reopen, people may cross the river at Louisiana or at Keokuk, Iowa.

To get from Hannibal to Quincy through Louisiana:
€ Drive south on U.S. 61 to Bowling Green.
€ At Bowling Green, turn east onto U.S. 54. Continue east through Louisiana and cross the Champ Clark Bridge.
€ Continue east on U.S. 54 to Atlas, Ill. Turn north onto Ill. Route 96 to Quincy.
Route 79 from Hannibal to Louisiana also is open. Route 79 meets U.S. 54 in Louisiana.

To get from Hannibal to Quincy through Keokuk, Iowa:
€ Drive north on U.S. 61 to Route 136 in Wayland.
€ Turn right onto Route 136. Route 136 meets U.S. 61 at Alexandria. Take the 136/61 junction across the Alexandria bridge to Keokuk, Iowa.

To drive to Quincy:
€ Continue east on U.S. 136 through Keokuk and cross the bridge into Hamilton, Ill.
€ At Hamilton, turn south onto Ill. Route 96 to Quincy.

A ferry service continues operating from LaGrange to Quincy. Airplane flights continue daily from Hannibal to Quincy, as well as a helicopter service from Taylor to Quincy.