urbanSTL

Plus, she expected her commute to go from 30 minutes to two hours a day.

Clayton

Cities come together to address Highway 40 issues

Clayton, Brentwood, Maplewood, Richmond Heights apply for part of $1 million MoDOT is offering

St. Louis Business Journal - June 22, 2007

by Carolyn Green



More than 41,500 people live in the mid-metro communities of Clayton, Brentwood, Maplewood and Richmond Heights, and 130,000 people work there. With the Highway 40 construction project under way, the four cities, along with businesses and agencies that provide mass transit incentives, are pushing to keep those people living, working and spending in the area.



The project will affect everyone who commutes to or from Clayton for work and anyone else who wants to enter or exit the city for any reason at all.



"Traffic is a part of life in other cities," said Ellen Gale, executive director of the Clayton Chamber of Commerce. "We may not be used to it, but we will be fine."



Though the construction project is already under way, the biggest impact will be felt in 2008 and 2009 when the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) shuts down entire sections of the highway -- first from Interstate 170 to west of Spoede and then from I-170 to east of Kingshighway.



Mitigating the impact

Gale said she is impressed with how local businesses have taken the upcoming highway closure seriously and have gotten an early start on finding ways to assist their employees, including more flex time, conference call options, day-care options and transit options.



The Clayton Chamber itself holds more than 50 events a year and hopes to expand programming, Gale said, especially after-work events that will keep people in the community and help stagger traffic on the highway.



It is working with MoDOT to keep chamber members fully aware of what is happening with the project. It sends out regular e-mails to keep members updated and aware of MoDOT's 511 caller information system for real-time traffic information, online maps and accurate highway signage. The chamber has also facilitated a number of meetings between businesses and MoDOT.



In addition, the cities of Clayton, Brentwood, Maplewood and Richmond Heights and their respective chambers of commerce are applying for a portion of the $1 million in business assistance funds to be awarded in July by MoDOT. The funds are to be used to create programs that educate businesses on how to keep traffic flowing and companies operating during major highway construction.



"All four cities have committed to matching and in-kind contributions, and we are all committed to ensuring that folks in the metropolitan area still feel comfortable about coming to our communities," said Michael Schoedel, Clayton city manager.



The grant application, written by the Brighton Agency, a Clayton marketing and public relations firm, cites the need for continuity because of the 4,300 students in the area's school districts and the area's rich quality of life -- with more than 40 major festivals annually, including the nation's second-largest art fair. Gale said the festivals draw close to 300,000 people each year.

Larry Harwell, a retired physician who is helping to rehab a house on Everett Avenue, said it has been interesting to watch.



"All that dirt over there," he said, pointing to piles bulldozers had made, "it wasn't there yesterday. You drive by a highway project, and you normally see one person working and 20 people standing around. You just don't see that here."

DeBaliviere wrote:^

And Larry Harwell used to be my pediatrician. Just a little fun fact for ya.

...Gateway Constructors plans to demolish three overpasses in Richmond Heights the weekend of Aug. 17-19, requiring crews to shut down all lanes of Highway 40 (Interstate 64) between Hanley Road and Skinker Boulevard. Lanes will reopen sometime before morning rush hour on Monday, Aug. 20.



The 2.1-mile closure is expected to result in the biggest disruption so far in the New I-64 project.



The bridges to be demolished carry Boland Place, Highland Terrace and Bellevue Avenue. They will be torn down with giant jackhammers and rebuilt in four to six months, said Dan Galvin, spokesman for Gateway.



The detour will be challenging, Galvin said.



Interstate traffic throughout the weekend will be directed to roads in central St. Louis County and in St. Louis. Eastbound drivers will exit onto northbound Hanley Road, then will go east on Clayton Road, south on Skinker Boulevard, and then back onto Highway 40. Those driving west will exit at the Clayton Road/Skinker Boulevard exit, travel north on Skinker, west on Forest Park Parkway, and then onto Interstate 170, where they can drive south to access Highway 40...

DeBaliviere wrote:It's kind of sad to see the houses just west of Big Bend and just east of 170 in Richmond Heights being demolished. RH is really paying the price during this construction project.

Bridge Collapse Revives Issue of Road Spending

By SUSAN SAULNY and JENNIFER STEINHAUER

Published: August 7, 2007



...



Meanwhile, there are urgent needs. The Interstate highway system turned 50 last year and is showing signs of age and inadequate upkeep. Around St. Louis, for instance, old bridges, rocky roads and tight ramp loops have led to a shutdown of parts of Interstate 64/Highway 40 — one of the most important corridors in the state — until late 2009.



“It’s so easy to let this stuff slip,” said Robert Dunphy, a senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute.

Mill204 wrote:The Hwy40 project got a mention in a NY Times article today...

Around St. Louis, for instance, old bridges, rocky roads and tight ramp loops have led to a shutdown of parts of Interstate 64/Highway 40 — one of the most important corridors in the state — until late 2009.

Link to the full story

wheelscomp wrote:

DeBaliviere wrote:It's kind of sad to see the houses just west of Big Bend and just east of 170 in Richmond Heights being demolished. RH is really paying the price during this construction project.

Those houses were not very nice at all. They were also worth close to nothing considering their proximity to a highway, an expressway, and one of the busiest intersections in the area. Im sure the city has been hoping for a reason to tear them down for years. The city of Richmond Heights started this ball rolling when they allowed the Galleria to replace a neighborhood and it has become a shopping mecca over the past 15-20 years. I think theyre fine with sacrificing those houses for a MUCH more efficient intersection.