DogEatDog: Will the C/D roads have actual street names when finished? Plus, I love the paint color for the soundwalls.

Also, could have Eager Road between Brentwood Blvd & I-170 been staightened some? there appeared to be room to do that, or would that have required another electric signal for Brentwood Blvd.?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: No. They will not have street names. They will be marked as ramps. They really are just long ramps that connect from Hanley to Brentwood.

We didn't make any changes to Eager. It is a county road and we didn't make any changes. We just resurfaced the intersection at Eager and I-170.

Linda Wilson

stlblues1993: Is I-44 ever going to be reduced to four lanes again, and if so, how long would the restriping take?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: We will have a contract in spring 2010 to resurface I-44 from I-270 to I-55 and then restripe it all back to four lanes. This cannot happen until spring because we need warmer temperatures for asphalt. The work will be done at night and complete by the fall.

Linda Wilson

gregl: Last month, you had said you wouldn't have an announcement about when the highway would open until November. Well, now that it's November *AND* it's not supposed to rain for the next week, spill the beans! :-)

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: It is only Nov 4. We lost 21 days to rain in October with 12 1/2 inches of rain instead of the normal 2 1/2 inches. The crews are assessing where we are. We don't want to give an exact date and not be able to make it. We don't have a date yet.

Linda Wilson

StlMax: Hello again Linda and Dan.
My question is associated with the so called "jug handle" and its intent.

I have heard St. Louis County officials tout that the Hanley/Eager road intersection is one of the busiest, if not the busiest, in all of St. Louis County and their goal is to improve traffic flow through this area; hence, the spending of the funds with MODOT and Gateway Constructors to eliminate the old stop light at this intersection via the jug handle design. Based upon prior projections of $40+ million dollars and actual costs of single digit millions doing it in conjunction with the new I-64 project seems like a reasonable expenditure IF it increases flow along Hanley, particularly southbound during evening rush hour.

My question is whether there are plans to eliminate the left turn option for northbound Hanley road traffic onto Musick Memorial Drive, nee Meridian? If this action is taken it would require both Eager and Musick traffic to use the jug handle. This would be a very positive development in my opinion because it would move the Eager-or-Musick decision onto Eager road and off of Hanley. Currently northbound traffic is going to the jug handle for Eager while also using the left at Musick for both Musick and Eager road access. By requiring exclusive use of the jug handle, Musick traffic can use the left turn lane at the Musick/Eager intersection. The extra time to circle around to the other end of Musick via the jug handle is offset by the time currently spent sitting in the left turn lane on Hanley waiting to turn onto Musick.

The effects of the elimination of the left off of Hanley are very positive for the following reasons: 1)It would allow southbound Hanley road traffic an extra 30 seconds each cycle of the traffic signal by also being concurrent with the southbound left onto Dale Ave.(This is significant when the historical traffic coming out of Clayton on southbound Hanley at rush hour is combined with eastbound I-64 traffic coming off the southern Collector/Distributor); 2) it would significantly reduce the traffic load on Musick Memorial Drive, which wasn't designed for this kind of load, by eliminating short cutters to Eager road; 3) it would be safer for pedestrians crossing to and from the parking garage and/or MetroLink station, i.e. they wouldn't have to dodge cars; and 4) access to and from the commercial and office buildings will be improved.

Finally, this approach will achieve the throughput at Hanley and Eager roads that the county officials envisioned and it will minimize complaints from some that the money spent on the jug handle was too much for too little.

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: We do still need to allow left turns from northbound Hanley to Musick Memorial Drive. There are businesses along this road and there is a MetroLink station with a parking garage. The left turn time will be shorter now because the new Hanley and Eager connection is open. The biggest thing we have noted is that people aren't aware the new Hanley to Eager connection is open so they are still sitting in that left turn lane. We hope people will get used to this and the left turns will reduce.

Linda Wilson

Cez Janikow: What is the deal with the curves? When the I-64 stretch in Chesterfield was completed, one of the curves, just eastbound of the Missouri bridge, turning left, it overshoots the curve and then you have to turn right to go straight. I thought that the painting crew got drunk when painting the dividing lines, until I saw the newly open I-64 stretch between 270 and 170, such "double dipping" is apparently even in the design of the concrete barrier now - you have to turn slight right at first to make a left turn as I recall. Is it the designer that was drinking on the job now, or what else this could be, I am a reasonable person but I cannot find any reasonable answer to this except that someone wanted to leave a mark on the highway and no one dared tell that guy (probably the boss) that this does not make any sense?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: I think you are talking about where the lanes shift slightly as the road curves. When we have a large median wall and a curve in the road, the lanes of the highway do shift slightly away from the wall to create a little more sight distance as you go around the wall. This is done on purpose and is not a mistake by the striper. On I-64, we do have this situation on eastbound 64 just east of the MO River bridge. We also have it eastbound 64 just east of Clayton/Warson. Again, this shift is to provide extra sight distance for the driver to see what is happening on the highway ahead of them around the curve of the wall.

Linda Wilson

Mark H.: Will the new I-64 have exits and on ramps onto/off Big Bend Boulevard going Eastbound and Westbound?

Thanks!!!

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: Yes, you will be able to enter and exit in both direction at Big Bend when we're done.

Dan

Mark: Big Bend appears to be getting very close to completion. No opening date yet?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: Big Bend is scheduled to reopen by the end of the month but we think we'll be able to open it sometime in mid-November.

Dan

Mike: I know that the EB on-ramp from Laclede Station Rd will not open again, but will there still be an off-ramp onto Laclede Station Rd from WB 1-64/40?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: No, that westbound exit to Laclede Station is gone as well.

Dan

Sam: Will you be able to exit at Hanley rd. going east bound and west bound??

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: It will be a little bit different from what you used to do. To get to Hanley from eastbound you would exit to Brentwood and take the collector distributor road east. From westbound you would exit at Hanley and would take the CD road to get to Brentwood.

Dan

John DiCroce: My question is about the entrance to 170N from Eager Rd and 40W.

It appears that traffic from east bound and west bound Eager will merge with the traffic from 40W to get on 170N. They appear to merge pretty close to the 170/Eager Rd intersection and is funneled into 1 lane. Is that correct? If so, it seams to be a lot of cars to be funneled into 1 lane.

Just curious and thanks for your time.

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: Not exactly. The other lane you see entering northbound I-170 is traffic coming from Hanley Road. Westbound I-64 traffic wanting to go north on I-170 will use the flyover ramp that was opened in 2008 while we rebuilt the first half of the project. That Hanley ramp will have a low enough volume that it should not be much of a problem for everyone to merge safely.

Dan

Doug Barth: Any plans for a 5K commemorating the re-opening of the East-end of the highway as was done last year on the West-end?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: Yes. There will be a 5K and a cycling time trial. There will also be open time for the public to come out and walk, run, bike on the road before we open. The date will be announced when we announce the opening date for the highway. We will have details posted on the I 64 website, www.thenewi64.org.

Linda Wilson

rjm jr: So...let me be the first today...how much delay in opening the east part of 40/64 has all the rain caused? We still on board for before the end of the year? I will give you a $1.00 bill...if you tell me you will open around Thanksgiving. Call it my bonus to you. Just want to see the standard response.

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: There were 21 days of rain in october and that definitely hurt our ability to work. We are still on schedule to open the east half no later than Dec 31. We do not have a comfort level yet to announce an exact date. We need a little more time to have the confidence to announce an exact date and be assured we will make that date.

Linda Wilson

kevin jesse: Any thought about trying to provide a direct link between Hwy 40 (64) and I-70 downtown where they cross by the "depressed" section?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: We know this is a missing movement downtown, but there are no plans to make a direct ramp from I-64 to I-70 or I-55 downtown. The property is just too tight and developed. It would be cost-prohibitive to be able to build these connections.

Linda Wilson

Tom vonHatten: Two questions:

1) What's the timetable on having all the overpasses over Highway 40 completed? I haven't been home for a few weeks, and would like to know.

2) Will there be any kind of activities on the road surface similar to those that were held on the western end of the project before the road is opened up to general traffic?

Thanks for your answers in advance.

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: There are only two overpasses that are still closed: Big Bend and Clayton Avenue. Big Bend will open sometime mid November. Clayton will open before the end of the year.

See my previous answer on the day celebration. yes we will but we haven't announced the exact date yet.

Linda Wilson

Mark: Why the need to close the I-170 south to Eager road exit this weekend to repave it? The pavement seems fine to me.

Also, I hope the county has retimed the light at Dale/Musick and Hanley- after the jughandle opened last week, the long red light on southbound Hanley was preventing traffic from turning off of Eager. I eventually gave up using the new intersection to get to southbound Hanley, and returned to using Brentwood. Traffic flow northbound on Hanley going to Eager, however, is far superior now.

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: That work has been cancelled and will be replaced with some pavement grinding and minor resurfacing. There are some rough spots there we have to smooth out before we're done but it shouldn't have too big an impact on traffic. As for the traffic signals, I'm sure the county is keeping an eye on the signal timing. Once something new opens there is an adjustment period where the lights are tweaked until they work as well as they can. Once people get used to that interchange it should all work pretty well.

Dan

bhdfield: The on-ramp from I-170 to I-64 West, at the point where the westbound and eastbound lanes diverge, is a death-trap waiting to happen. There is no shielding the concrete barricade which comes to an abrupt split - probably 50 to 75 feet over the ground. If a vehicle were to hit that it likely would end up airborne over that chasm. I think a tragedy is inevitable as that is currently designed and unprotected by barriers or barrels.

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: There are temporary construction sand barrels there now. Before we open the east half of the highway, we will be restriping the south to west flyover ramp and installing the final crash impact at the point where the east and west ramps split.

Linda Wilson

chris: Do you know when Wells drive in front of the zoo will be open?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: The Zoo's project to build the new pedestrian bridge from the South Lot to the South entrance has Wells Drive currently closed. My understanding from the Zoo is that Wells should reopen in early January 2010.

Linda Wilson

Max: I will you still be able to gt off bellveue exit from eastbound 40?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: Yes. There will be an exit from eastbound 64 to Bellevue.

Linda Wilson

Tom vonHatten: Will there be any kind of activities on the eastbound portion of Highway 40 like those that were held on the westbound section prior to the road being opened to regular traffic?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: Yes, the Sunday before we open the road to traffic again we'll have another celebration where you can come out and walk, ride bikes and get a close look at what we've been doing over the past year. We don't have a date yet but stay tuned. As soon as we know when the highway will open we'll have all the details of the 5K run and bike time trials on our website.

Dan

AR: Once 64/40 is opened, what is the expectation for the on-ramp/off-ramp at Clayton/Skinker? I imagine traffic will be pretty congested in that area.

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: I imagine it will be. That was always a busy ramp and I'm sure it will be in the future as well. Several different directions of traffic (Oakland, Clayton and McCausland) all converge in a very congested area. That hasn't changed with the work we did on the highway.

Dan

chris: When will northbound McCausland be two lanes again?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: Hopefully by the end of the week. I know we have been saying that for a while, but the rain has really slowed down our work there. We should have it this week because we have had good weather this week.

Linda Wilson

Jack Muirhead: Why is the flyover bridge from I-170 to I-64 East going to be reduced to one lane? One slow or stalled vehicle and the back up will be back to Forest Park Parkway.

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: The flyover ramps will be striped to one lane right before we reopen the highway. There will be planty of capacity to handle the traffic. There are only three eastbound lanes on I-64 at I-170 so there was no way to allow more capacity than that on the ramps. It's the same going north on I-170 from I-64. There's one lane coming from the east, one from the west and one coming from the south that will all have a dedicated lane on I-170 north.

Dan

catsinmo: On eastbound 64 before you get to 170, some of the stripes that had been removed are very confusing and it is hard to tell which stripes are for you and which are the old ones. I think people may accidentally switch lanes and veer into someone.

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: We have done some striping in there in the past week. The striping here is temporary and will change before the project opens. Eventually there will be three lanes for I-64 and one lane exiting to Brentwood or I-170. We don't want to make this one lane yet, for obvious reasons. It is signed as a work zone with 45 mph and people are driving it at 60+ mph. Motorists need to slow down to the posted speed and be attentive to the lane they want instead of switching lanes and cutting over at the last minute.

Linda Wilson

Ken Mallin: What was the cost of the "count-down" clocks installed on Highway 64 at Barnes Hospital and Interstate 170 at the Forest Part exit? For how long were they operated and why were they disabled? Did the vendor return any of the purchase price of those clocks to MDOT? If so, how much?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: MoDOT didn't pay for the countdown boards, Gateway Constructors did. They were something we offered to install that had worked on other projects around the country, but didn't work so well here. We had a number of electrical/mechanical problems with them and recently even a couple lightning strikes. All things considered they were more trouble than they were worth.

Dan

Mark: Hello. My question is off topic fom I-64. When is the Page/Dorsett project at 270 scheduled to start, and how long is the construction expected to take?

Thank You

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: Construction is scheduled to start in January 2010 and be complete by the end of the year.

Linda Wilson

jfrench: The new foot bridge at Kingshighway seems to sway at times. Has anything been done to stabilize the south end. I haven't noticed it as much lately, but it rained a lot last month so I didn't walk as much.

J. French

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: The bridge does have some movement in it, but it designed to do so.

Linda Wilson

Sid: Bottom line, what should commuters expect on 40 during rush hour traffic? Free flowing or heavy pockets stop/go traffic?

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: Yes.

Seriously though, I imagine you'll occasionally see both conditions. I can't tell you that there will never be congestion on I-64 again, but with the improvements we've made what congestion there is will not be as severe as it once was, and won't last as long when it occurs. We've eliminated most of the reasons why there was congestion before (cloverleaf interchanges, poor sight distance, drainage problems, unconnected interstates) so you will notice a major improvement.

Dan

PujolsMVP: Understanding of course that you dont wish to give a specific date for the re-opening of the Eastern half of the I-64 project, would you be willing to speculate at all about a general timeframe?

Thanks for the informative chats!

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: OK, as a general timeframe we'll be finished by the end of the year and are still trying to open as early as possible. We don't have a date yet but we'll let everyone know just as soon as we do. So much for being informative!

Dan

Arthur: Why wasn't a metrolink line run down HWY 40/64 during construction. Logic seems to dictate that this would only make sense and or cents.

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: MetroLink was considered for I-64. A joint study with MoDOT, Metro and the region's transportation planning agency (East-West Gateway Council of Governments) reviewed all options for transportation along I-64 and I-170 in the late 1990s. The decision was to build MetroLink along Forest Park Parkway instead of down I-64. In the future the plans are to build MetroLink from Clayton to WestPort and then out to Chesterfield Valley. This west county line is not funded.

Linda Wilson

jfrench: Will they be replacing the bridge at Taylor?

J. French

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: No. The I-64 project stops at Kingshighway. The Taylor bridge is still in good shape.

Linda Wilson

Tom E Schmidt: How do you intend to correct the right lane issue at the exit for McKnight. I'm afraid there is not enough room for that backups that flow out to 40 and there will be many a rear end accident there. Maybe paint a solid white line starting several hundred yards from the exit.

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: I'm not sure exactly which ramp you are talking about. I'm guessing you are talking about eastbound 64 exiting to McKnight. The new exit is much longer than the old McKnight interchange exit used to be. It is designed to have cars lined up waiting for the signal at McKnight and not have them extended into the lanes of I-64. We also expect less traffic to exit at McKnight trying to avoid the I-170 area now that we have a direct ramp from I-64 to I-170.

Linda Wilson

Shanda: When 40 reopens will the exit for 270 going 40east be reduced to one lane or will it remain one lane for 270South and one lane for 270North? I like having separate lanes but I also hope that the traffic will reduce too when the highway opens. Thanks!

Linda Wilson, Todd Waelterman and David Wrone: We are getting ready to restripe eastbound 64 approaching I-270. The lanes will be striped so we have three straight lanes for I-64, but the one straight lane will be double signed to also be the exit for northbound I-270. The fourth lane that comes on from Mason road will continue to be the exit lane for southbound I-270 only. So, we are kind of doing both. We are keeping the two directions of northbound and southbound I-270 exiting traffic in separate lanes and giving the I-64 traffic another lane to use too. If we could get five lanes across, we would do that, but we don't have the space.

Linda Wilson