respublica

Better than a tie

A couple of ladders hit local highways yesterday afternoon one on EB 70 at Lindbergh and the other on WB 64 at Chesterfield bridge.

Ladders 74

Mattresses 72

Wettest year ever?

Weather guy at KSDK, Chester Lampkin, wrote this morning that St. Louis is on pace for the wettest year on record. "No year has recorded more rain through August 14th than 2019."

I believe it and that includes the snow we had this winter which seemed to come constantly.

A wreck of a morning

Watching the local news and following traffic reporters on Twitter, I noticed a lot of accidents being reported this morning. Some have been really bad. So what makes this day different from other days? Well, it was dark with clouds, thunder, lightning and rain early on in the rush hour and that may have played a part. Cars and trucks can't stop as fast and are apt to rear end the vehicle in front of them. Or slide into a guard rail.

Or, the dark, wet has drivers not being able to see the lane lines.

Whatever the reason, this has not been a good morning on the roads for St. Louis drivers.

6 month tally update

Here it is August, June and July went by in 5 minutes. This morning a ladder hit I-44 near Union. This brings the 7 month total of ladders and mattresses on the roads to a tie.

Mattresses 69

Ladders 69

Here's a new traffic issue

From Rodger Brand, KMOX's traffic reporter: "OK, here's an odd one: A report of a raccoon with a can stuck on its head near West Outer and Miller roads. Use caution...

Also, an old issue. A mattress this morning along 141 near Romaine Creek.

Mattresses 66

Ladders 65

More Poplar work on the way

From IDOT, two eastbound lanes will be closed for two weeks in July for roadwork.

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Monday that the eastbound exit ramp from Interstate 55/64 to southbound Illinois 3 will be closed as workers repair the surface of the ramp. The work begins early morning on July 15 and will last until July 29. A marked detour utilizing Barack Obama Avenue will be in place during the closure period.

To keep traffic flowing into Illinois, one lane will be closed on the Poplar Street Bridge along with two exit ramps. Missouri roadways will be impacted as well. In Missouri, the Marion Street entrance ramp to I-55 northbound and the right lane of I-55 northbound approaching the bridge will be closed. Three lanes of interstate traffic will remain open on the bridge and through the Illinois 3 and Tudor Avenue ramp areas.

They say to expect extensive delays, especially during evening rush hours.

Hot time, summer in the city, sitting on the bridge. Again.

Read more here: https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article232410317.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article232410317.html#storylink=cpy

A new month, new tally

A mattress hit smack in the middle of the eastbound lanes of the Musial Veterans' Bridge.

Mattresses 64

Ladders 62

Whoops! Another mattress came onto another local highway today. This time on eastbound 44 near the Dome in downtown.

Mattresses 65

Ladders 62

Getting around takes a lot of patience these days

I can't begin to describe how awful it is to get from one place to another in the area we live around the seminary. It seems every conceivable type of road work is being done on surface streets and not just the main arteries, but connecting neighborhood streets as swell. Whatever company has the contract for making orange cones is doing very well this summer.

I've never seen so many orange cones in my life and now they are making them bigger, some are taller than me. You cannot get around any of this stuff these days to even get to Schnucks. Big Bend is a horror and Clayton road is competing for that honor. Try to go another way and you're stopped by side streets filled with orange cones. And the traffic backs up as the traffic lights are not synced.

And then try to get onto the interstate and find ramps partially closed with more cones.

There must be a lot of road construction money out there these days.

Pick that stuff up

There has been a ladder on the road on 364 since Friday.

Mattresses 62

Ladders 60

Boxing Day

Not a mattress or ladder today, but this was unexpected enough to mention. A big Amazon box fell on to route 364 and Highway K.

Also, St. Louis is weird in its name some highways with just a letter.