Baltimore bridge collapse raises local concern for St. Louis bridges [Video]

ST. LOUIS – Thousands of drivers travel across the Mississippi River every day and many people are wondering, with the bridge collapse in Baltimore Tuesday morning, if something similar could happen in the St. Louis area.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the busy season for the Mississippi River is coming.

“The majority of our traffic are tow boats and barges and the majority of that cargo are agriculture, whether it is fertilizer going upbound or agriculture products coming down bound for distribution,” Commander Daniel Every, USCG, said.

As the barges and boats travel the river below, heavy traffic flows on each bridge in and out of Missouri and Illinois.

“We know this affects hundreds of thousands of commuters every day. It is not just commuters. This is the freight hub of America, so we know that products that are built here and manufactured here are headed all over the world,” said Eric Schroeter, MoDOT …