Missouri Bridge Closures Preview of Major New Madrid Quake Event

If you live in Missouri and especially the northeastern part of the state, you know that one of the most important bridges in the region is now closed for a month. If you think that's inconvenient, you should know that this is really a preview of what it would be like after a major New Madrid earthquake event, but it would be far worse.

As of today, the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge that connect Hannibal, Missouri to Illinois is closed and will not reopen for at least 30 days. The timing could not be worse as there has also been bridge work being done on the Bayview Bridge from West Quincy, Missouri to Quincy, Illinois and even that will be reduced to just one lane for a half dozen days in June. Many that use these bridges for necessary travel are beyond annoyed, but there's another way to look at this dilemma.

How are these Missouri bridge closures and limitations a preview of a major New Madrid Fault earthquake event?

In a simulation of a 7.7 magnitude quake by the USGS, one of the first concerns after dealing with building damage and helping those displaced find shelter would be the assessment of bridges. What they found is that nearly every bridge along the Mississippi River in Missouri and Illinois would need to be closed for at least a few weeks if not more to ensure they were safe for travel.

If damage was found on bridges in Missouri, travel could be inhibited by months instead of weeks. That doesn't make the current Mark Twain Memorial Bridge closure any easier to deal with, but it does give you some perspective on how dire a New Madrid Fault earthquake event could be. Think about this also. The current Missouri bridge closures are planned so residents can figure out other ways to get where they need to go. A major earthquake along the New Madrid Fault would happen with no warning and it could happen any time - even today.