ST LOUIS (October 03, 2008) - MoDOT Director Pete Rahn announced the good news today: the construction of Interstate 64 is ahead of schedule. The closed section of Interstate 64 from I-270 to I-170 will be reopened before the end of the year. The east half of the project, from I-170 to Kingshighway, will close simultaneously with the west half opening.
"Yesterday, Gateway Constructors poured the last major stretch of the main driving lanes of I-64, between Spoede Road and Lindbergh Boulevard. We are confident we can meet the schedule of reopening the west end of I-64 by December 31 and we are pushing hard to be ready as early as late November," said Rahn. "All of us at MoDOT have been impressed with Gateway Constructor's work. They have accomplished this great progress despite the rainiest year on record."
When I-64 reopens between I-270 and I-170, it will close between I-170 and Kingshighway at the same time. The east half closure will last through December 31, 2009.
"It is time for businesses, commuters and residents who use the east half of the I-64 project to get familiar with alternate routes and be ready for the east half closure," said Lesley Hoffarth, MoDOT I-64 Project Director. "The switch from the west half to the east half will happen sometime between late November and New Year's Eve. We will be able to provide about a month's notice of the date for the reopening of the west half and the closure of the east half of the I-64 Project. There is still a lot of work to be completed before it is safe to open the new section of I-64. We want to make sure it is safe to open and all of the interchanges will be ready to handle the traffic."
On the west half, Gateway Constructors has completed eight lanes of pavement from Spoede to I-170; new bridges at Brentwood, McKnight, Clayton/Warson, Lindbergh and a new ramp to northbound I-170; as well as two-thirds of the medians, barriers and shoulders. The remaining work on the west half of I-64 includes the ramp from I-170 to westbound I-64; a month of paving work including ramps at interchanges, medians, barriers and shoulders; installation of traffic signals, signs, lighting and guardrail; and grading work. Sound wall installation and landscaping work are already underway. Some of the sound walls and plantings may not be complete when I-64 reopens, but these items are not required for the traveling public to safely use the highway. Any remaining work on the west half will be completed after the opening with any impacts to traffic lanes during off-peak times.
"Much of the remaining work on the west half is weather dependent," said Hoffarth. "Once we get closer, we will provide about a month's notice of that date for the switch from west half to east half."
A public ceremony will be planned to celebrate the reopening of the west half. More details will be available on this event when the opening date for the west half is announced.
When the west half of I-64 reopens, motorists will be able to drive on I-64 as far east as the exit to Brentwood Boulevard or the ramp to northbound I-170. Drivers will be able to exit from southbound I-170 to I-64 west. Motorists traveling near the east end of the closure will be able to take westbound I-64 as far as Kingshighway before they will have to exit. There will also be access from Kingshighway to eastbound I-64. A detailed plan for construction of all the bridges and interchanges between I-170 and Kingshighway is now available online at http://www.thenewi64.org/. - Click on the Project Overview tab. Gateway Constructors will also hold public meetings on the east half closure details in mid October.
For more information on the I-64 project, visit the website at www.thenewi64.org or call the Gateway Constructors project hotline at 314-524-9191 or MoDOT at 1-888-ASK-MODOT.
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