The Missouri Department of Transportation is looking for public input before starting on a project to update a three-mile stretch of Interstate 64 between Kingshighway and Jefferson in St. Louis.
The primary goal of the work is to replace bridges and ramps that have outlived their use, but the department is also interested in looking at the entrance and exit ramps over that distance.
“We figure this is a really good time to talk to the community again, to revisit how it’s functioning and working as a system, and say, ‘Are these 14 bridges where they should be? Are these ramps where they should be?’” said Jen Wade, an area engineer for MoDOT.
The study phase of the project will last 13 months. MoDOT is taking comments online at future64.com. There will also be public meetings, the first of which will be held May 18.
“We love it when the community comes and shares their experiences with the roadway and they surprise us. That is what we are looking for,” Wade said. “We need to know how people are using this road, what they see as their frustrations.”
Wade said the public input will be used to help decide what the improvements will look like, and that could mean changes to the ramp and bridge layouts.
“At the end of the process we will have a set of preferred alternatives that we will have vetted with the public,” Wade said. “And then there will be a larger process to portion out projects for the next five or even 10 years.”
MoDOT is conducting the study in conjunction with the City of St. Louis, East-West Gateway Council of Governments, Bi-State Development and several community partners.
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