Tuesday, Dec. 09, 2008

Highway 40 is closing; here's how to get around

St. Louis Streets Director Todd Waelterman says he expects the area around Clayton & Skinker to be a bottleneck, after the old Highway 40 closes, Monday, from I-170 to Kingshighway.

Waelterman said drivers will head that direction, from as far south as I-44. "I would anticipate them going up to Forest Park Parkway, and count on Forest Park to be a big relief. However, I think a lot of other people are counting on Forest Park Parkway. So that's why my recommendation is to go out from the zone. You need to head further north or further south."

Waelterman says he fears some streets will be too popular; too many people will try to utilize them as alternative routes. He cites Kingshighway, Forest Park Parkway, and McCausland-Skinker. He also says there are streets that are under-utilized, such as Gravois, south of I-44... and Page, north of I-64. Waelterman says both have room for more capacity.

Waelterman says the bridge on Jefferson over I-64 will be open, once again, but only with two lanes going northbound.

"It's important that you understand, it's only going to be the northbound traffic," said Waelterman. "But we believe the morning commute is going to be our heaviest single peak. So that's going to help to help clear the corridor; it's going to help clear-out 44."

Waelterman says the first stage of I-64 reconstruction, that began nearly a year ago, was only successful because drivers utilized flex-time, at work. He says a forty-five minute rush-hour was stretched-out to nearly three hours.