ST. LOUIS - No injuries were reported after multiple water main breaks triggered sinkholes near Interstate 70 and The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis on Saturday, June 13, 2026, prompting major road closures downtown and in the near-north area, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Missouri Department of Transportation.
The collapses emerged near the Broadway and Biddle Street/Cass Avenue exits, blocking lanes and disrupting traffic on I-70 and I-44. Police said emergency officials confirmed that no drivers or pedestrians were injured.
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Authorities said the sinkholes were caused by catastrophic failures in the city’s aging underground water infrastructure, which washed out dirt beneath the streets. As of Saturday night, one of the remaining challenges was shutting off water from a broken pipe that was still flowing into the sinkhole and causing further erosion.
The sinkhole spans about 20 feet across, and the cave-in was nearing a column support for the I-44 bridge north of the Dome, according to the information released by authorities.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said it was seeing “an increasing number of people traveling to the area to observe the Downtown sinkhole” and urged the public to stay away.
“For your safety, please avoid the area,” police said. “Pedestrian access is being restricted in portions of the area to support ongoing operations. Please follow directions from officers and emergency personnel.”
MoDOT said in a statement that “the sinkhole has exposed bridge footings on the I-44 bridges over Broadway.” The agency said closures were put in place as a precaution while utility crews evaluate the damage and determine repairs.
“MoDOT is monitoring the situation regarding a sinkhole that developed on North Broadway under Interstate 44 in the City of St. Louis,” the agency said.
Closures were expected to remain in place through at least next week, MoDOT said.
Among the closures, I-44 westbound/I-70 eastbound was shut down at Tucker Boulevard and the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge. I-44 eastbound/I-55 northbound was shut down at the Poplar Street Bridge, along with ramps from I-64 westbound and the Poplar Street Bridge to Walnut Street and I-44 eastbound.
MoDOT also said eastbound I-70 express lanes were closed at Union Boulevard, South Broadway at Cass Avenue was closed, and from Illinois, the westbound I-64/Walnut Street exit and the I-44 eastbound ramp were closed. The ramp from North Broadway to eastbound I-44/westbound I-70 was also closed.
MODOT added that Park Avenue would remain open, and traffic on the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge would remain open. From Illinois, westbound Martin Luther King Bridge traffic would only have access to downtown.
“MoDOT crews will continue to assess potential impacts to I-44 and I-70 in the City of St. Louis,” the agency said. “Since there is a lot of activity to evaluate and repair the site, people are asked to avoid the area for their own safety.” For up-to-date traffic and travel info, motorists can check MoDOT’s Traveler Information Map at http://traveler.modot.org/map/.
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