MoDOT Closes I-64 downtown January 25-28 to remove Taylor, Newstead Bridges

The closure is weather permitting, and may be delayed due to temperatures or significant precipitation.

While the interstate is closed, crews will remove the Taylor and Newstead bridges over I-64 as part of a project to construct a new interchange at Tower Grove and Boyle and replace four bridges over the interstate. The ramps from McCausland/Skinker, Hampton and Kingshighway to eastbound I-64 will be closed during this time. In addition, the ramps from Pine, Jefferson, Market and Grant to westbound I-64 will be closed during this time.

Crews will reopen the interstate and all ramps by 3 a.m. Monday, January 28.

The detour for westbound I-64 will be to get off the interstate at the Forest Park Avenue exit (exit 38A) and follow Forest Park Avenue to Kingshighway. After turning left onto Kingshighway, drivers will follow Kingshighway back to the interstate.  The detour for eastbound I-64 will be to get off the interstate at the Hampton Avenue exit (exit 34B), turn right on Hampton and follow it to eastbound Interstate 44. Drivers can then take I-44 to the Poplar Street Bridge. Detour maps are available on-line at http://tinyurl.com/i64detour0113

After the interstate reopens Monday, January 28, drivers will have three 10-foot lanes in each direction of I-64 between Kingshighway and Vandeventer. Traffic will also shift to the middle of the interstate. The Vandeventer Avenue  ramp to westbound I-64 will remain closed.
MoDOT will keep three lanes open in each direction on I-64 between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays.  Overnight and weekends, the department will close up to two of those open lanes for construction work.

“With narrowed and shifted lanes, we expect to have some congestion in this area, especially during morning and evening rush periods. All commuters have several options to avoid congestion. Long distance commuters – heading from downtown to west St. Louis County – can consider using I-44 or I-70 to detour around the construction.  People nearer to the construction can use Chouteau/Manchester or Forest Park Avenue to avoid the congestion. Commuters can also, where possible, investigate telecommuting, flex their work hours or use Metro to avoid peak traffic times,” said Deanna Venker, MoDOT area engineer for St. Louis City.

Taylor and Newstead will remain closed over the interstate until bridge work is completed in November. Drivers can use Tower Grove and Boyle to detour around the closures. Cyclists and pedestrians can use Kingshighway, the pedestrian crossing between Kingshighway and Taylor, or Tower Grove to detour around the closure. More information on upcoming work will be released when it becomes available, and will be shared on the project webpage at: http://tinyurl.com/towergve2013.

Washington University in St. Louis and BJC HealthCare have partnered with the department on the project. Construction is expected to continue until July 2014.