Highway closed

Familiar words that strike to the heart of St Louis drivers who have to use the central corridor, I-64/40. This time MoDOT will be shutting that highway down in both directions from Hampton to Forest Park Parkway all weekend beginning Friday at 8. 

It never ends, it's almost like MoDOT gets a perverse enjoyment out of ruining everyone's drive into or out of downtown.

Comments

[Ron]

There closing the highway for 2 days to knock down two bridges. I don't think MODOT would want people driving on the highway, as stuff was falling on cars. I know, I wouldn't want to drive on the highway, while this was going on.
Those old bridges will be replaced with new bridges and a new interchange making the highway safer and providing more access to the hospital complex at Barnes and the areas in the Central West end.
And you will still be able to get downtown. Ease up on MODOT. They have done a great job on the highways bringing most of the projects in under budget and ahead of schedule. A rarity in government.

[Gentry]

Ron, I don't think anyone has ever suggested knocking down bridges while traffic drives under them. I think the questions that should be asked are 1.) why didn't MoDOT budget for doing this project when it reconstructed the rest of I-64?, and 2.) why wasn't MoDOT upfront six or seven years ago with the fact that it intended to have ongoing work on I64 for the next several years?

BJC is contributing $10,000,000 to this project which means that MoDOT would have only have to come up with about $9,000,000 to do with project back when everything else was shut down. They didn't and that will cost commuters a lot more time and money.

What data do you have that this new project will make the highway safer? If anything, I anticipate that by adding an additional westbound entrance ramp just before Kingshighway, they are creating even more congestion and the possibility for accidents.

MoDOT had not done a "great" job. The new I64 has not improved traffic flow much if at all. It was paved with concrete which has increased the sound of highway traffic in neighboring communities. And MoDOT has worsened highway access central county at Brentwood and Hanley. For some reason those drivers are not entitled to the same "access" as the biggest employer in the state.

[Diane Meyer]

Gentry, I agree with you. The highway entrances onto 40 from Kingshighway and Hampton slow up the traffic just as bad as before the redo. And Brentwood and Hanley again,no better at all. what a mess.

[Gentry]

Diane, I drive the Kingshighway/Hampton every day and things are sometimes even worse than before. I attribute that to the additional lane added to the Hampton and Kingshighway entrance ramps and poor sightlines east of Kingshighway due to the hill and the high median. I can't believe the extra stop lights we now have to endure in the Hanley/Brentwood area and at Bellevue/Big Bend. No help to traffic at great cost to drivers.