PEORIA – As of Saturday, April 20, 2013, the Illinois River is slowing rising and will continue to do so until its predicted crest of 30’ on Tuesday afternoon.

Crews have been continuously sandbagging and erecting a temporary flood wall along Water Street for the last 24 hours. Work will continue into Saturday night and Sunday if necessary. City personnel will be monitoring the barricade continuously.

Due to traffic concerns, the City has closed Water Street to through traffic from Main Street south to just past Harrison. The parking deck at 401 SW Water Street, portions of the Michel East parking lot next to Hooters and the businesses in the 500 and 600 blocks of SW Water Street are all accessible. Access to the post office is from State Street only. The Gateway Building is open for scheduled events tonight. The building is accessible via Hamilton Boulevard.

Pedestrian access along the west side of Water Street will be maintained. Many of the businesses along Water Street and the River Front will remain open. It is suggested that you call ahead to your intended destination to confirm their hours of operation.

With the multiple road closures and entrance and exit of work vehicle, the City is discouraging people from driving to Water Street to observe the flood. If individuals want to view the area, the City recommends parking west of Washington Street and walking to the museum block. The platform around the museum is a good vantage point that will not interfere with ongoing operations. Please do not enter work zones or cross over the barrier wall.

With considerable flooding expected, property owners along the River are cautioned to secure all items in their yards. The City is especially concerned about potentially hazardous materials such as propane tanks. All such tanks must be at least 2’ above the expected water level and secured.

The Red Cross has opened an emergency shelter at Redeemer Church at 6801 Allen Road in Peoria.

For more information, please contact City Manager Patrick Urich at (309) 472-8216 or Assistant City Manager Chris Setti at (309) 472-6291.