EFFINGHAM COUNTY — US Route 45 in Effingham County has been closed at the junction with Illinois Route 37 until further notice due to water over the road at Little Wabash River .

Only local residents will be permitted by police to travel any further south than the point known locally as the Watson “Y” on Route 45.

Emergency officials are discussing possibly closing US 45 on the south end at the intersection with US Route 50 outside Flora, and detouring traffic west to Salem.

The chief concern besides the flood waters in the area is the increased traffic on 500th Avenue and 550th Avenue off Route 45, which combined with the heavy rainfall are making the roadway “softer”, so crews are trying to lighten the amount of traffic to keep the road surface from breaking up.