What's on your mind?

Here is your opportunity to ask questions about MoDOT projects in the St. Louis Region, or to get information on MoDOT transportation issues in St. Louis. Post a question and we'll respond to it.

Drilling in the mighty Mississippi

Crews are starting some significant design research for the Mississippi River Bridge construction project. This morning (Sept. 8), crews on a barge started drilling, just offshore, to help designers determine what the riverbed floor at the base of the bridge looks like. This information will help designers determine the appropriate foundation for the bridge piers.

The current plan for the Mississippi River Bridge is a $640 million bridge between East St. Louis and St. Louis City, carrying I-70 about a mile north of the Eads Bridge. Construction of the new bridge will begin in early 2010 and should be complete by 2014-2016.

You can see more on the Mississippi River Bridge here.

The benefit of public meetings

MoDOT is truly interested in recieving input from the public during the design process of most major projects -- there is also an increased emphasis on inviting public comment during even minor projects, as well.

As Missouri transportation experts, MoDOT does look at all of the changes as thoroughly as possible, and public meetings are not an opportunity to "vote" on which projects should be completed. But that also doesn't mean that MoDOT's "mind" is set on making changes. As an example, a recent proposal to close a slip ramp on westbound Route 94 in St. Charles County. MoDOT held a public meeting on Aug. 7, and based on input from that meeting, decided to hold off on closing the ramp for now, make some other changes to the project for safety and continue to monitor the project. You can read more about that here.

Keeping traffic moving

MoDOT gets extremely involved when it comes to keeping traffic moving during special events. Over the next two weeks, two big events come into St. Louis.

Next week, 25,000 golf fans will watch some of the top names in golf at the Bellerive Country Club for the BMW Championships. In St. Louis, MoDOT has worked on the traffic plan, which includes temporary striping and daily traffic switches to keep traffic moving into and out of the event. You can read more about that here.

In two weeks, world-class cyclists and cycling fans can anticipate the Tour of Missouri bike race. MoDOT across the state, to include traffic experts in St. Charles and St. Louis, have worked hard to coordinate the routes and viewing areas for this seven day event.

Staying environmentally responsible

MoDOT is making significant efforts on staying environmentally responsible during the construction and maintenance of the roads and bridges throughout the state. On the I-64 project, much of the concrete removed from the highway will be reused as part of the roadbed for the new concrete. In five years, the department across the state kept more than $3.6 billion pounds of waste from going into landfills (about the amount of household waste generated each year by the entire metropolitan St. Louis area). MoDOT reclaims about 70 percent of the state highway signs for re-use and uses recycled glass beads to increase the reflectivity of the roadways. In 2007, the department received an award from the Missouri State Recycling Program for its landmark efforts.

Motorist Assist celebrates 15 years of service

Motorist assist, the men and women who travel the interstates in St. Louis and help keep traffic moving safer and smoother, celebrate their 15th year of service this year. Although, officially, motorist assist operators began patrolling St. Louis in January 1993, they got some of the original members back together recently to discuss how the operation has changed, but in the most important matters has stayed exactly the same.

You can read more about the 15th anniversary of Motorist Assist here.

MoDOT response to recent St. Louis Post- Dispatch editorial

The Missouri Department of Transportation was recently criticized in an editorial in the St. Louis Post Dispatch about allowing a contractor to quality control the I-64 Design-Build construction process, with MoDOT oversight.

Pete Rahn, MoDOT Director, drafted a response to that editorial, which appeared in the paper on Aug. 7. You can read that response by clicking this link.