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PostDec 10, 2009#651

Moorlander wrote:I'm glad to see the 3 years of mess and inconvenience finally coming to a close. This new stretch is providing an incredible convenience and quick commutes for all who use it. I'm afraid this is a double edged sword as it will just further feed into our auto addicted region.


Since they were replacing the entire road and overpasses, it would have been a great opportunity to split the center barrier and leave a place for metro-link tracks down the center someday. Oh well.
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PostJan 19, 2010#652

uggh. I'm so tired of people moaning about Metro down the middle of 64. There wasn't enough room for it and definitely not for the park/ride lots/garages that would be needed as well. Metro did study this and decided that it didn't make sense.

My only complaint about the new 64: Do people not understand that this is a highway? People should be going AT LEAST 60 MPH on this thing, unless there's traffic.. This isn't a backroad.. If you want to drive at 40 mph, use arterial roads. Are they still getting used to it, or what? People also need to take advantage of the ACCELERATION lanes entering the highway. you should have reached the speed limit by the time you have entered the highway. I love when people pull onto the highway going 30 mph.. Do they not teach about these in driving schools anymore?
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PostJan 19, 2010#653

In his interview at the Cards Caravan thing, Mark McGwire said that he and his wife decided to take the job because 64-40 was finished. I can't decide if he has a terrible comedic delivery (which he does) or if he was serious.
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PostJan 19, 2010#654

JCity wrote:uggh. I'm so tired of people moaning about Metro down the middle of 64. There wasn't enough room for it and definitely not for the park/ride lots/garages that would be needed as well. Metro did study this and decided that it didn't make sense.

My only complaint about the new 64: Do people not understand that this is a highway? People should be going AT LEAST 60 MPH on this thing, unless there's traffic.. This isn't a backroad.. If you want to drive at 40 mph, use arterial roads. Are they still getting used to it, or what? People also need to take advantage of the ACCELERATION lanes entering the highway. you should have reached the speed limit by the time you have entered the highway. I love when people pull onto the highway going 30 mph.. Do they not teach about these in driving schools anymore?
Are you NEW to St. Louis????

I'm NOT, but it still frustrates me to no end...people do it on all the highways. Then you have those already on the highway who get in the right-hand lane and drive like a bat-outta'-hell about to run people off the highway who are trying to get on. then they'll get in the LEFT-hand lane and do 39 MPH. :x :roll:
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PostJan 20, 2010#655

JCity wrote:My only complaint about the new 64: Do people not understand that this is a highway? People should be going AT LEAST 60 MPH on this thing, unless there's traffic.. This isn't a backroad.. If you want to drive at 40 mph, use arterial roads. Are they still getting used to it, or what? People also need to take advantage of the ACCELERATION lanes entering the highway. you should have reached the speed limit by the time you have entered the highway. I love when people pull onto the highway going 30 mph.. Do they not teach about these in driving schools anymore?
There's a certain group of people who will only drive one speed: 40 mph. This is on the highway AND on my neighborhood street. One speed/size fits all. :cry:

Those people can also be identified by their aversion to turn signals and their tendency to *speed up* when they see another car trying to (correctly) merge on to the highway. Oh, and their insistence on driving in the far-left lane, no matter what.

"Missouri Drivers"
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PostJan 21, 2010#656

i'm from here, but it seems that it's even worse now. There should be billboard signs or smaller signs on acceleration lanes noting what they indeed are.
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PostFeb 01, 2010#657

any idea if the other highways will be re-striped since 64 has been completed?
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PostFeb 01, 2010#658

They will be repaved and re-striped this spring when the weather warms up.
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PostMar 22, 2010#659

I posted this on my blog earlier today...

According to a survey performed by HDR Consulting, the two-year closure of I-64 had no discernible economic impact on businesses near the highway as compared to businesses elsewhere in the St. Louis region.

While it's fantastic to hear that the highway closure had negligible effect on businesses, does anybody else thing the results of the study just lead to paradoxical conclusions? For example, the St. Louis County Economic Council said in 2008 that a completed MO-141 corridor would lead to $20 billion in economic benefits and 170,000(!) new jobs over the next 20 years.

So on one hand, we have highway building that generates significant economic benefits; on the other hand, we have highway removal that has no economic impact per I-64 closure or positive economic impact per the experience of other cities? Are these not contradictory statements?
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PostMar 23, 2010#660

Hmmm...good point. More people should be made aware of it.
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PostApr 07, 2010#661

Few observations, considering I drove 40 everyday before the 'New 40/64' and after. First, as I said before, the higher bridge clearance has allowed for 18 wheelers to clog the highway. Many trucks now use this road, causing heavier traffic. The backup at 1-70 north, is the same at best. 1-70 south in the evening is almost always jammed back to Olive or Delmar. It slows because many cannot get in the right lane (east or west) until the last minute. While it is nice to have added lanes to get to 1-70 N and fly-over ramps, I do not see this solving the long term traffic issues in this area. Considering the 40/1-70 area is one of the busiest commercial areas in the metro area and it is growing, scares me. Will we be talking about the need for further highway work there sooner than we think? I think the 40/64 project should have been done with future expansion in mind. 3 lanes between Hanley and Oakland is a joke. It is so packed, just like it was before. It is crazy to have a 3 lane highway into any major city.

Question: Anyone know if MODOT plans to replace bridges and beautify the road beyond South Taylor? The highway goes from nice and new to gritty and old. Some of those bridges have to be in need of replacement. Are the repairs/replacement on 40 done?
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PostApr 07, 2010#662

I am surprised their simulations didn't show the back-up traffic on I-170 South wasn't getting solved. But then again, I drive from I-70/I-170 interchange to the I-64/I-270 interchange every night. I used to always go 70/270 past the airport. Now, sometimes I go 170/64 because it is almost as fast and the 64 lanes are wide and smooth and not as scary as the I-70 lanes in front of the airport, where they still have 4 lanes crammed into what used to be 3.
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PostApr 07, 2010#663

^ Who says the simulation didn't show the backups? In my opinion, if the new I-64 completely got rid of congestion in the area, it would have been a sign that the highway was massively overbuilt.

Personally, I drive 170 to 64 east everyday at around 6pm and cruise at 40 mph or more the entire way except for the end of the flyover ramp where many people seem afraid they're going to fly over the wall and into the abyss.
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PostApr 07, 2010#664

^6:00 must be dramatically different than 4:00. I drive in it everyday. It is backed up 4 out of 5 days a week on Avg. It is usually backed up to Delmar or Clayton, to the interchange. Rarely is there any good reason for it, other than the bottleneck of cars changing lanes at the last minute.
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PostApr 07, 2010#665

Last Friday it was backed up eastbound because people were slowing down to
see an accident that had occurred on the westbound side.
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PostApr 07, 2010#666

DOGTOWNB&R wrote:Few observations, considering I drove 40 everyday before the 'New 40/64' and after. First, as I said before, the higher bridge clearance has allowed for 18 wheelers to clog the highway. Many trucks now use this road, causing heavier traffic. The backup at 1-70 north, is the same at best. 1-70 south in the evening is almost always jammed back to Olive or Delmar. It slows because many cannot get in the right lane (east or west) until the last minute. While it is nice to have added lanes to get to 1-70 N and fly-over ramps, I do not see this solving the long term traffic issues in this area. Considering the 40/1-70 area is one of the busiest commercial areas in the metro area and it is growing, scares me. Will we be talking about the need for further highway work there sooner than we think? I think the 40/64 project should have been done with future expansion in mind. 3 lanes between Hanley and Oakland is a joke. It is so packed, just like it was before. It is crazy to have a 3 lane highway into any major city.

Question: Anyone know if MODOT plans to replace bridges and beautify the road beyond South Taylor? The highway goes from nice and new to gritty and old. Some of those bridges have to be in need of replacement. Are the repairs/replacement on 40 done?
Yes, bridges east of Kingshighway will be replaced. A new Tower Grove interchange is planned as well (it will largely mirror the Boyle exit). This was originally part of the New I-64 project, but was nixed to save money.

I actually think adding lanes between I-170 and I-270 is a joke. And raising overpasses to accommodate more freight traffic is a joke as well. The issue with back-ups and traffic is the result MANY more people than ever driving on I-64. The afformentioned changes have increased traffic. Adding more lanes will increase traffic more. If you build it they will come (it's not just true in Iowa).
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PostApr 07, 2010#667

Also, I64/40 is really only backed up during a relatively short rush hour period. During off-hours the capacity far exceeds the demand, and the reason it is backed up during the rush is because alternatives are not be used at all. I mean has anyone driven on Forest Pkwy since during rush-hour after the highway re-opening? It is a faster way to get the 170 during that short rush-hour.
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PostApr 07, 2010#668

Alex, adding lane miles is always debatebable and should be debated intensely. However, I Don't think that raising bridge heights to national standards is a joke. The reality is that this is designated Interstate in which you actually still have industry located next too it. You were posting yourself how industry such as the coffee company that rebuilt in St. Louis needs to be known about. Especially if we want to bring back jobs and people to the city. If I recall correctly, the coffee company is located near this freeway and probably desires that a truck that can access their business without having to drive through every side street in St Louis. What would be a joke in my mind is too have freight come across from the East Coast and then have to divert themselves around the one part of a freeway not built to standard and that part being in St. Louis.
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PostApr 07, 2010#669

^ Fair enough. I'm actually sitting down with the good folks at Thomas Coffee today. I'll ask what, if any impact, the New I-64 had on their decision to invest in St. Louis City and how their shipping/distribution is affected by their location. Thanks for the idea.
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PostApr 07, 2010#670

To me it seems like traffic on the highway itself moves a little better. But more importantly, at least for me, is that there is significantly less backed up traffic spilling into surrounding roads. I can cross the highway on Hanley or Kingshighway in one or two light cycles, rather than fifteen minutes. Part of the purpose of a controlled access highway is to get through traffic out of the way of local traffic, and the new I-64 does it pretty well.
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PostApr 30, 2010#671

Question:

Is there still construction ongoing on I-64 in St. Charles County? I'm headed to KC tonight, and I feel like the last time I was out there (maybe a year ago) it was awful, with lane closures and still the occasional stoplight. Anyone know?
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PostApr 30, 2010#672

^ Haven't actually driven out that way in years, but the MoDOT website indicates that construction is virtually complete and that the last traffic light was removed back in October.
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PostApr 30, 2010#673

wheelfru wrote:Question:

Is there still construction ongoing on I-64 in St. Charles County? I'm headed to KC tonight, and I feel like the last time I was out there (maybe a year ago) it was awful, with lane closures and still the occasional stoplight. Anyone know?
I drove to Des Moines two weeks ago. The Callahan Rd overpass is complete and I had no problems reaching 70 from 64. There maybe some jams during rush hours, but I didn't encounter any on the Thursday I drove on the new 64.
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PostApr 30, 2010#674

Haven't been that way since last Fall, but majority had been completed. Down to just 1 or 2 stoplights, and hopefully those have been completed by now.
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PostApr 30, 2010#675

It would be good if they could wrtie in some funding for a new I-64 westbound span across the Missouir River when they finally do the next Multiyear Federal Transporation Bill. Maybe tie in a bikeway/greenway path to the Katy Trail.

I picture a very bad accident involving trucks and vehicles on those narrow lanes every time I cross and try to avoid being remotely near a truck when crossing that span.

Plus, the region really needs to start focusing on to maintain the highway infrastructure it has now. I think it would be good idea to a have dedeicated Metro Gas Tax for roads and dedicate any and all countywide transportation sales taxes to transit/pedesterian/greenway projects. Make gas tax a true users fee. Of course, Political reality in Jefferson City would never go for granting the metro area such an option as well as the fact that people to still believe you can add lane miles/bridges without ever having to increase the gas tax.
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