The Missouri Department of Transportation has announced plans Monday, March 3, to temporarily close the Miami River Bridge on Route 41 in Saline and Carroll Counties for two days to make repairs to the bridge.

The closure will begin on Saturday, March 15, at 6 a.m. and the bridge will reopen at 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 16.

Repairs consist of adding steel plates to strengthen critical components of the bridge that have deteriorated over the years, according to a news release from MoDOT.

The nature of the repairs prohibits keeping the bridge open to one lane of traffic while the crew is working.

Detour signs will be in place prior to and during the closure. Motorists will need to choose alternate routes during this time.

The work is weather dependent and could be rescheduled.

MoDOT officials said they appreciate the patience of the traveling public. The repairs will be made as quickly as possible to minimize the inconvenience to the community, they said.

For more information, contact the MoDOT District 2 Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or visit http://www.modot.org.