Local News
Help, I’m Stuck on Highway 40!
September 13, 2007
By Craig Bodenschatz
Despite inconvenience, Highway 40 work promises improvements.
Since the mid-summer Hanley-Skinker closing, travel on I-64/US 40 has proven problematic for commuters and sightseers. The five-year plan does, however, promise better conditions and presents alternative route options.
In spite of traffic backups and rerouting difficulties, most drivers were relieved that the Missouri Dept. of Transportation (MoDOT) decided not to adopt the two-year proposal and shut down 64/40 entirely. “A lot of people are frustrated, but I think the construction is great because the traffic before was ridiculous,” says Tarah Snow, an MBU commuter.
In March, the five-year project began on the interstate between Kingshighway Boulevard at Forest Park and Spoede Road in Frontenac. The undertaking promises wider shoulders, better access to other major highways and an additional lane in each direction. Although the roadwork will not directly affect access to MBU’s main campus, it does impact commuters driving in from the city or Illinois.
MBU commuters should find substitute paths to avoid heavy traffic backup. Potential substitute roads include Highway 44, Ladue, Clayton, Manchester and Page. For access to downtown St. Louis, Manchester/ Chouteau, Page/ Martin Luther King Jr., Ladue/ Delmar, Olive/ Page, and Clayton/ Lindell present reasonable alternatives.
According to MoDOT’s official 64/40 construction website, http://thenewi64.org, upcoming closings and delays will include:
Thursday, September 13
• From 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. I-64 will have one lane closed in each direction at Kingshighway Boulevard.
• From 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. eastbound I-64 will have one lane closed between the Boland Place bridge and Bellevue Avenue.
• From 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. westbound I-64 will have one lane closed at Bellevue Avenue.
Friday, September 14
• From 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. I-64 will have one lane closed in each direction at Kingshighway Boulevard.
• From 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., eastbound I-64 will have one lane closed at Bellevue Avenue.
• NEW! Starting at 10:00 p.m. the ramp from westbound I-64 to northbound I-170 will be closed for setting and splicing girders. This closure will be in effect around the clock until 5:30 a.m. on Monday, September 24. Drivers should use Big Bend Boulevard, Hanley Road and Brentwood Boulevard to go north during the closure.
Saturday, September 15
• No traffic restrictions other than the I-170 ramp closure are currently scheduled.
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