As long as the placards look similar to the Spoede bridge renderings on their website, I'm okay with that. Now, if by placards they mean generic green street signs...
I still don't like that they didn't add fluting to the interior bridge columns.
^ Why bother with any of it. Lipstick on a pig I tell you.
The columns shouldn't be round. The fluting looks dumb on round columns. While I have complained about the Compton bridge, it will likely be superior to most of the new 40 bridges (except for Kingshighway, which because of the angled intersection and bridge looked really nice in December).
No one was hurt early today when a giant crane -- and the steel beam it was hoisting -- toppled at the Highway 40 construction site at Clayton Road.
It may be hours before the crane is uprighted and the beam is removed, so Clayton Road is shut down to motorists.
Nearby Warson Road is open and can be used as an alternate route.
Dan Galvin of Gateway Constructors said it's unclear why the 85-ton crane fell over. It was one of three cranes working about 4 a.m. today, trying to remove one of the main support beams for the old Highway 40 overpass there. The weight shifted, and one of the cranes tipped over.
Galvin said the beam fell across Clayton Road. The back end of the crane is also on the road.
Galvin can't say for sure when drivers can use Clayton Road again.
St. Louis could have easily done with one less freeway, and perhaps adopted the Chicago model of new freeway construction only with a transit right of way(i believe)...instead of the oh so constructive Detroit/Kansas City freeway building orgy.
^I'll agree that parkway conversion was a missed opportunity, but not extending MetroLink. Ask Chicago planners, and they'll tell you that the main reason they ran the "el" down freeways (like the Blue on JFK or Red on Dan Ryan) is physical feasibility, but it greatly limits development. Denver completed TREX for the expediency of advancing FasTracks, but at least their southeast extension goes down the side of I-25 to at least foster half-circles of TOD. Most cities avoid freeways if they can as interchanges are often fairly inhospitable environments for pedestrians. Case in point, you could build a park-and-ride station at Ballas (there already is one for buses), but it ain't exactly a nice walk to St. John's Mercy or Missouri Baptist. Finally, you need political will for development, and Ladue, Frontenac and Town and Country aren't exactly champions of TOD.
^ The funny thing is that Ladue, Frontenac and Town and Country could create some of the most attractive upscale and successful TOD's in St. Louis if open to the possibility. Look no further than the success of places like South Orange and Summit and you can quickly understand what could be created.
I would say the up and coming upscale TOD's are about to happen in downtown Clayton along Forsyth. Throw in some new urban office towers nearby, Montgomery bank & Koman. Clayton's strong central business district can be served well by extending Metrolink CC south a few more stations and putting the Daniel Boone Line going westward. Top it off, build the north extension off Hanley to serve a growing Express Scripts, UMSL, BJH/WashingtonU/Cortex@CWE and a new Centene Office tower downtown. I think the county & East-West Gateway council has it right by NOT pursuing anything down the center of hwy 40.
With all of the Forest Park activities this weekend, I'm surprised MoDOT didn't close it today.
Man, I sure am going to miss getting to do a tight, 180-degree turn into, and out of, 65 mph highway traffic, amongst standing water and foot-deep potholes. Good times!
Clayton's strong central business district can be served well by extending Metrolink CC south a few more stations and putting the Daniel Boone Line going westward. Top it off, build the north extension off Hanley to serve a growing Express Scripts, UMSL, BJH/WashingtonU/Cortex@CWE and a new Centene Office tower downtown. I think the county & East-West Gateway council has it right by NOT pursuing anything down the center of hwy 40.
Do you see Clayton actively lobbying E/W for extensions of Shrewsbury south, west to Westport, and North to I-270?
Clayton hasn't really been all that aggressive in lobbying for more Metrolink. They are not anti metrolink, but are not aggressive in pursing a more Metrolink strategy.
If Shrewsbury went further south along the River Des Pere to I-55, it would benefit the City and South County, but it would definitely give Clayton an advantage. Extending west of Westport would make it the center of the world for a lot of Metrolink and of course extending North along I-270 to I-270 would be the final piece for them.
JMedwick wrote:^ The funny thing is that Ladue, Frontenac and Town and Country could create some of the most attractive upscale and successful TOD's in St. Louis if open to the possibility. Look no further than the success of places like South Orange and Summit and you can quickly understand what could be created.
[sarcasm on]
Yes, but then Metrolink would bring in black people and crime, or hispanics and homelessness. The good people of those cities don't like dark meat.
This isn't an "I know better than MoDOT...why didn't they ask me?" question....but a serious question. Why does MoDot keep doing all of this work at/on Kingshighway, and now closing Hampton at I-64, when they are actually closing 64 at Kingshighway in 3 1/2 months??
MoDOT closed Hampton at this time to minimize the effects on Forest Park, especially the zoo. The Hampton bridge is supposed to be open to some traffic by Memorial Day. They could have waited, but this way it has less effect.
I thought Kingshighway was pretty much done, I've gone through there a few times and besides some median work there wasn't much left to do.
^Medians and curbs/sidewalks need to be finished as well as the final layer of asphalt. There is also a lot of clean up work to so, but I doubt that will happen until I- 64 is finished since they will likely use the open areas for storage.
MattnSTL wrote:^Medians and curbs/sidewalks need to be finished as well as the final layer of asphalt. There is also a lot of clean up work to so, but I doubt that will happen until I- 64 is finished since they will likely use the open areas for storage.
I wonder whether lights are going to be installed at the Kingshighway interchange soon. It's as dark as...uh...most roads in St. Louis County!
jlblues wrote:Man, I sure am going to miss getting to do a tight, 180-degree turn into, and out of, 65 mph highway traffic, amongst standing water and foot-deep potholes. Good times!
I also love the head-on deluge of water from oncoming traffic whilst driving (hydroplaning?) in the fast lane of 64/40 through Richmond Heights in a storm!
Looks like Monday, Dec 15 is the official opening date of the west half. The east half from I-170 to Kingshighway closes at the same time The west half will be open Sunday Dec 14 for bikers and walkers.
