{the one day pedestrians and bikes are allowed on I-64 – photo by Katie Ihnen}
What’s next now that I-64 has been rebuilt? Well, I hope that those of you who drive the corridor will take a close look, check out the new exits and access and comment on any pros and cons you see. We’ll likely soon forget the whole project and life will go on – a little easier for some drivers, a little noisier for some Forest Park users (and the animals of course!).
Judging by the local news coverage and the incredible enthusiasm shown by MODOT’s Pete Rahn, one would think that something extraordinary has happened for the St. Louis region. “It’s a great thing for St. Louis!” “It’s awesome!” “This is the best!” It seems that everyone’s celebrating. When quality of life is judged by how fast one can drive and how much of the city one can miss while driving to the store or to work, it’s easy to be impressed by a highway.
The basics (from the Post-Dispatch):
- Work to continue through July, requiring lane closures at times
- I-44 will return to 4 lanes in each direction, from 5
- I-70 will return to 3 lanes in each direction, from 4
- Watson Road exit from eastbound I-44 reopens
- Upgraded traffic equipment on Manchester, Olive, Page and Lindbergh remains
- Timing of some lights will be reduced from up to 140 seconds
- Parking restrictions on Big Bend and elsewhere will be reevaluated
