Highway U in southern Warren County will be closed indefinitely and no timeline is known on when the road will reopen to motorists. 

MoDOT officially closed the stretch of Highway U on May 9 after receiving calls about a large crack in the pavement. From there the issue escalated as the road had already settled four inches according to MoDOT Area Engineer Jeff Niemeyer. 

Over the following week the roadway continued to slide until a roughly 250 foot long section of Highway U had slid over 50 feet down the adjacent hillside. 

Niemeyer said these slides are typically caused when the fill material underneath the road loses integrity, causing the slope to slide away. 

The damage is extensive and Niemeyer stressed that the area remains dangerous to pedestrians and drivers alike. He asked that motorists continue to avoid the area until work has been completed for their own safety. 

“This road is closed to traffic as the slope is still unstable and not safe to open up to traffic,” said Niemeyer in an email. 

Residents of the area that regularly use Highway U have been directed to detour on Route 47 and 94. Niemeyer conceded that the detour would take roughly 40 minutes as opposed to using Highway U when it was open. 

The timeline for repairs on the road is also uncertain, said Niemeyer as they are still gathering samples and surveying the area to gather a more complete understanding of the damage. 

“MoDOT understands the impact this closure has on the surrounding communities and the urgent need to get it back open to traffic,” Niemeyer said in the email.

He said they are still in the design phase for the repair project. He was uncertain about the timeline of the project, although he expected construction would not begin until next year.