The I-64 Flip

This weekend, crews flipped the construction closure on Interstate 64 through the heart of St. Louis city. Crews closed the eastern five miles of the interstate this weekend to construct the new I-64, while opening the western half of the project two weeks ahead of schedule.

To manage traffic during this flip, as drivers through the city are learning which routes are the best for their daily commutes, the Missouri Department of Transportation in conjunction with traffic experts from St. Louis County and St. Louis City, have been operating a command center to watch for trouble spots during the early part of the eastern closure.

Traffic flow on the first day was impacted a bit by icy weather that rolled through St. Louis just before the Monday morning rush period. Although traffic during the day was relatively light due to the weather, it moved along smoothly.

The start of designing something big

Engineers have been hard at work designing the Mississippi River Bridge, the $640 million river crossing which will begin construction in 2010. The design team, which is co-located in Laclede's Landing near the Mississippi River, has prequalified four contractor teams to bid on the cable stay portion of the bridge.

This prequalification means these contractors teams have the experience, leadership and capability available (within the team) to complete the complex work required to construct the new river bridge. It also means that these contractor teams will be able to work with the MRB team to develop confidential and individualized proposals using the latest advances in construction technology. This innovative method to reduce costs will allow Missouri and Illinois to get the best possible bid late next year as the two states prepare for the construction of this greatly-needed project.

Safe and Sound Set to Begin in the St. Louis Region

The Missouri Department of Transportation will begin improving 802 of the state’s most worn out bridges this winter. All 802 bridges will be improved by the end of October 2014.

In the St. Louis region, there are 23 bridges that will either be rehabbed or replaced. Five are in Franklin County, twelve in Jefferson County, five in St. Louis County and one in St. Charles County.

At its November meeting, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded approximately $1.47 million to the lowest bidder for bridge rehabilitation on five Safe and Sound bridges in Jefferson County. Work will start in December 2008.

Click here for more details on the initial five bridges.

Safe and Sound signs have been posted on all St. Louis area bridges designated for rehab or replacement.

A complete list of all the bridges in the Safe and Sound Bridge Improvement Program and other information can be found on the MoDOT Web site.

Moving along with the big projects

Even despite the rainy spring weather, Gateway Constructors are a bit ahead of schedule on work on the west half of I-64. Right now, the team intends on being able to switch traffic onto the new section of highway sometime between the end of November and the end of December.

Of course, at the same time, the east end of the I-64 project will close. That means that people who use the east end of the I-64 project (between I-170 and Kingshighway) will need to start making sure they are aware of, and testing, their alternate routes around the region. There will be no point when both the east and the west half of the project are open at the same time (the roadway has shifted a bit, and there is a concrete plant that is in the middle of the lanes). MoDOT is planning to have some event that will allow people to walk, bike or run on the new lanes before opening it up to driving traffic, but details on that event are still being determined.

For more information on the I-64 work, and the completion of the west half, click here.

When is a good week to close a major bridge?

The Missouri Department of Transportation is planning to close the westbound Daniel Boone Bridge this weekend (on I-64/Route 40) between St. Louis and St. Charles counties for its annual inspection. At the same time, crews will complete an additional inspection based on Federal Highway Administration findings from the river bridge in Minneapolis that collapsed last year. Although it is inconvenient, to say the least, to close a major river bridge, this is work that has to be done. It had to be done on a weekend (to minimize the impact on traffic), and it had to be done at a time when there wasn't a major event in St. Charles County or further west which might draw traffic along the route.

To pick a date, the department considered all upcoming weekends. Since Mizzou has a bye week this week and the winery tours aren't yet in full swing, this week was as good as we could pick to complete this inspection. There are sure to be other events which will be impacted -- however, the posted detour will get drivers to their destination. If you know the area, you can also take other routes to get to St. Charles County and beyond.

For more details on the closure, click here.

The Battle for teenaged drivers

For the third year in a row, the Missouri Department of Transportation is conducting "Battle of the Belt" -- a challenge to encourage high-school students to buckle-up whenever they are in a vehicle. More than 80 percent of the Missouri teens who are killed in crashes were not wearing a seatbelt.

During Battle of the Belt, students conduct two seat-belt checks during the two-month campaign -- one at the beginning of the Battle of the Belt and one at the end. The Missouri school which has the highest overall seat belt use and the one who has the most improved seatbelt usage are both given a cash prize from the Battle of the Belt's sponsor. Additionally, the top schools in each region for overall and most improved seatbelt use also receive prizes. This year, Pattonville High School in St. Louis defends its state "championship" for overall seatbelt usage. For more, visit the Arrive Alive website.

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.