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Public Hearing on Proposed Mississippi River Crossing by Bob Moore, SLFP.com ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), August 12, 2002 - The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will host a public hearing, August 29, to present preliminary design plans for the New I-70 Interchange as part of the new Mississippi River Bridge Project. MoDOT began public hearing sessions in 1992 and after twenty years of extensive planning has yet to fund the nearly $588 million project or acquire all the land for access to the new bridge. Illustration of proposed $588 million Mississippi River Crossing north of downtown St. Louis The meeting at Cochran Community Center, 818 Cass Ave, from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m., will give Missouri residents an opportunity to review and comment on the New I-70 Interchange that comprises the MRB project in Missouri. The new I-70 Interchange will be located directly north of Downtown St. Louis. It will connect existing and relocated I-70, I-44 and downtown at Tucker Blvd. and Fourteenth St. This public session is the last chance for the public to review and comment on the preliminary design plans before approval by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. This hearing will be an open-house style event. Videos, additional exhibits and aerial photographs will be presented to address the following topics: Project Overview - what it is and why it's needed; I-70 Interchange - preliminary plans for any anticipated property needs for the new I-70 interchange, which will connect to the New Mississippi River Bridge; World Class Bridge - the selected design for a new bridge to be located north of the Martin Luther King Bridge, and how the design was determined; Urban Design - conceptual plan for aesthetic and landscaping enhancements to the various highway alignments and interchanges in Missouri and how the concept was determined; Land Acquisition/Relocation - information about MoDOT's land acquisition process, and its residential and business relocation assistance program. CLICK HERE For Mississipps River Crossing Map The New Mississippi River Bridge Project is a combination of regional transportation infrastructure improvements, designed to enhance the mobility of residents throughout the bi-state region. The improvements include a new, eight-lane bridge connecting Missouri and Illinois, just north of downtown St. Louis. Other roadway improvements include the relocation of Illinois Route 3 and the reconstruction of the Tri-Level Interchange in Illinois. In a briefing at the Gateway International Raceway in October 1999, James L. Easterly, District Engineer for IDOT, outlined how this proposed $560 million project to relieve severe traffic congestion on the Mississippi River bridges will affect the metropolitan St. Louis community. According to the proposal that was announced, the core-area improvements of the project involve relocating I-70 as a four-lane roadway from a point east of IL Rt. 203 in Illinois along the north side of the Gateway International Raceway and the Cahokia Canal with a four-lane I-64 connection paralleling St. Clair Avenue and an eight-lane bridge across the Mississippi River to a new directional interchange with existing I-70 on the north side of downtown St. Louis in Missouri. The existing I-55/70/64 interchange in Illinois will be reconstructed and new community access will be added. A half-diamond I-70 interchange will be built at IL 203; a half-diamond I-64 Connector interchange will be built at the relocated IL Rt 3; and, a partial-cloverleaf I-70 interchange will also be built to accommodate east- and west-bound I-70 traffic on the new bridge. The first component of the project is a new MoDOT traffic operation center that is designed to provide construction and accident information to drivers. Transit pricing incentives with reduced rates during peak hours will be offered to riders using MetroLink between Illinois and downtown St. Louis. The project also involves removing and reconfiguring ramps on the Missouri side that come into the Popular Street Bridge. The Missouri portion of the project is currently not funded. The design work continues in preparation for potential federal and state transportation funds. The project will be ready for construction in 2004, if funds become available. It is anticipated that construction could begin in 2005 with federal matching funding and bond funding available. Missouri costs are projected at $250 million and Illinois costs at $310 million. An additional $60 million in separate Illinois First funding will be expended for the reconstruction of the existing I-55/70/64 interchange and relocating IL Rt 3. The new Mississippi River bridge could be open to traffic in 2010. See related story Mississippi River Crossing to Relieve Congestion at Downtown St. Louis ARCHIVED NEWS: Missouri Governor Holden Signs Bill Which Changes Property Tax Policy Loss of Cardinals Baseball Would Create Large Hole in St. Louis Economy, Says Mayor Slay St. Louis Cardinals Say Downtown Is No Longer the Most Likely Site for New Ballpark Senate Gives Initial Approval of Funding for Cardinal Ballpark St. Louis Is One of the Best Places in America to Do Business Says Mayor Francis Slay Revitalization of Downtown Begins With $35 Million Renovation of Old Post Office St. Louis Aldermanic Ways and Means Committee Endorses Ballpark Agreement/Summary of Final Agreement Ballpark Bill Draws Heated Opposition at Public Forum/House Bill NO. 1889 Saint Louis Art Museum Donates $10 Million to 'Heart of the Park' Improvements St. Louis Lands 2004 U.S. Olympic Women's Marathon Trials Mary Meachum Freedom Crossing Site Dedicated Mississippi River Trail Dedicated Mayor Slay, Multi-Faith Religious Leaders Encourage Religious Tolerance Taking Stock of Our City and Our Region Missouri Attorney General Stops Internet Auction Fraud St. Louis/East St. Louis Joint Economic Development Initiative Receives Nearly $3 Million in Funding The Saint Louis Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. 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