ST. LOUIS HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION

HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION REPORT
For more information on road construction call 1-888-ASK MODOT.

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UPDATE:

Crews with St. Louis-based Spirtas Wrecking Company removed Cass Avenue and 7th Street Overpass over the weekend in preparation of the upcoming construction of the new Mississippi River Bridge.

Removal of Cass Avenue Overpass Begins Process for Construction of New Mississippi River Bridge
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), February 22, 2010 - MoDOT closed Interstate 70 and all ramps, between the Poplar Street Bridge and St. Louis Avenue, over the weekend, to knock down the Cass Avenue Bridge. Interstate 70 reopened prior to 5 a.m. traffic on Monday morning. Interstate 70 downtown will be closed the weekend of March 5-8 to remove the Madison Street bridge, weather permitting.

The interstate will close at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 5 and will be reopened no later than 5 a.m. on Monday, March 8, for rush hour traffic.

Motorists will have to plan alternative routes through downtown St. Louis as major highway closures downtown are planned for the next several months. Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and its contractor Fred Weber, Inc., closed Interstate 70 reversible lanes for two months as part of constructing the Madison Street bridge over the interstate.

Closing the reversible lanes will help crews construct the middle support structures needed for the bridge.

The work is being done in conjunction with constructing the new Mississippi River Bridge to relocate I-70 across the Mississippi River.

To get around the interstate closure, drivers must use a combination of Broadway Street, Washington Avenue and Memorial Drive. The detour around the work will be marked. However, since much of the detour is on roads with signals, drivers should make every effort to avoid the area, if possible.

"If people don't use alternate routes to travel to downtown, the detour for the I-70 work will take a long time," said Gregory Horn, P.E., project director for the Mississippi River Bridge project. "We are encouraging people to avoid the area by using other routes. For example, people can use the Chain of Rocks Bridge on I-270 or the Jefferson Barracks Bridge on I-255 to get between Missouri and Illinois, use I-270 to get around St. Louis County, or use I-64 to get into downtown St. Louis."

An estimated 70,000 vehicles travel on I-70 through downtown St. Louis each weekend.

UPDATE:
Groundbreaking Ceremony for Mississippi River Bridge Cancelled
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), February 26, 2010 - The ceremony for the Mississippi River Bridge groundbreaking, scheduled for this morning, has been canceled because most of the Federal officials were not able to make it out of Washington D.C. because flights were canceled due to severe weather.

"Members of Congress on both sides of the river and officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation played vital roles in securing funding for the new bridge and ensuring that this important transportation improvement became a reality," said MoDOT Director Pete Rahn. "We want to make sure that they get the recognition they so rightly deserve."

At this time, the event has not been rescheduled. Work on the bridge, however, will start.

The New Mississippi River Bridge is part of a group of roadway improvement projects that will connect I-70 at the I-55/64/70 interchange in East St. Louis to I-70 near Cass Avenue in Missouri. The entire project will cost a total of $670 million and is being funded through a combination of federal and state funds. The New Mississippi River Bridge project is expected to be completed in 2014.

Groundbreaking Ceremonies for the New Mississippi River Bridge to be Held on Historic Eads Bridge
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), February 21, 2010 - The Missouri and Illinois Departments of Transportation announcee they will host a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction activities for the main span of the New Mississippi River Bridge on Friday, February 26, 2010 at 12:30 p.m. on the deck of the Eads Bridge.

This new bridge will be a four-lane, cable-stayed structure across the Mississippi River from East St. Louis, Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri that will improve traffic safety and reduce congestion across the region by providing significant congestion relief for the Poplar Street Bridge, which now carries I-55, I-64, and I-70. This new bridge will also help to sustain economic growth and development in the St. Louis region by creating jobs for residents on both sides of the river.

The public is cordially invited to attend this historic event.

The New Mississippi River Bridge is part of a group of roadway improvement projects that will connect I-70 at the I-55/64/70 interchange in East St. Louis to I-70 near Cass Avenue in Missouri. The entire project will cost a total of $670 million and is being funded through a combination of federal and state funds. The New Mississippi River Bridge project is expected to be completed over the next four to six years.

See related story: Missouri, Illinois Reach Agreement on New $640 Million Mississippi River Bridge

Broadway Bridge Closed at Interstate 70
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), February 14, 2010 - Earlier Saturday, the Missouri Department of Transportation closed the southbound Broadway bridge over Interstate 70 to assess damage to the bridge deck. Traffic traveling beneath the bridge on Interstate 70 is safe.

MoDOT officials determined the closure necessary while performing routine maintenance work this morning.

The Broadway bridge was constructed in 1958 and is used by 2,500 motorists daily. Approximately 2,000 of those vehicles exit from the Interstate 70 reversible lanes. Routine maintenance inspection was performed on the bridge in September 2009.

During the closure motorists may detour to 9th Street at Howard, St. Louis Avenue or Madison Avenue.

The eastbound I-70 reversible lanes to the Broadway exit will also be closed. Next week crews will complete an evaluation on the condition of the bridge. Motorists may experience delays during this work. Plan ahead to avoid work zones by calling 1-888-ASK-MODOT or by visiting our website at www.modot.org/stlouis.

MoDOT Has Commited All Recovery Act Funds to 187 Projects
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), February 14, 2010 - The Missouri Department of Transportation has obligated all of the $524.6 million it received in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for MoDOT administered projects, meeting the required deadline a month ahead of schedule.

State departments of transportation are required by ARRA guidelines to obligate (or commit funds to a specific project) all their economic stimulus funds by March 2 or risk losing those uncommitted.

"From launching the nation's first transportation stimulus project to obligating all of our recovery act funds ahead of schedule, MoDOT has worked rapidly to show that transportation projects do play an integral role in supporting jobs and rebuilding our nation's economy," said MoDOT Director Pete Rahn. "While these funds don't come close to covering all of our transportation needs, they have helped fill a short-term gap as other federal and state resources continue to decline."

To date, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has awarded 187 economic stimulus projects totaling $469 million. The ARRA funding awarded to date will support 12,524 direct, indirect and induced jobs based on Federal Highway Administration estimates.

Archived News:

Missouri Highway Fatalities Lowest Since 1950

Can St. Louis Become the Bridge to Somewhere?

Increases in Rest Areas and Truck Parking Keeps Drivers Safe

Snow Brings Out Road Crews on Holiday

Traffic Congestion Increases As Motorists Navigate New I-64 Interchanges

New I-64 Reconstruction Is a 'Winner' for Motorists

Hanley Road Bridge Reopens to Traffic One Month Early

MoDOT using Twitter for Traffic Updates in St. Louis, Kansas City and along I-70

New Entrance to Forest Park Opens for Summer Season

MoDOT Reveals Top 10 Work Zones To Look Out For

Hanley Road Overpass at I-64 Taking Shape

New State Transportation Program Presents Uncertain Future

Railroad Side Track to Add Capacity for Amtrack Trains

Missouri Has First-In-Nation Economic Recovery Project

Grand Party Celebrated Opening of West Half of I-64

Reconstruction of Interstate 64 Is Ahead of Schedule

YouTube Video Shows How Dedicated Truck Lanes Could Work

Drivers Reminded Not to Barrel Through Work Zones

Missouri, Illinois Reach Agreement on New $640 Million Mississippi River Bridge

MoDOT To Launch Origin/Destination Web Tool

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