By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The reconstruction of I-64/Hwy 40through parts of St. Louis city and County is set to begin in a few weeks, and people interested in the particulars got a chance to talk with project engineers Tuesday.
Next month, workers will start tearing down the 65 homes MODOT has bought along the route. And in March, crews will shut down lanes and ramps on 170 near the Galleria Mall.
At a public forum at the Science Center Tuesday, project director Lesley Hofarth said commuters who use Highway 40 need to start thinking about different ways to get around.
People need to be patient," noted Hofarth. "This is going to be difficult, but we will make sure that we have a lot of information out there for people so they know what's going on and they know what to expect."
Ahmed Boudaine lives in St. Louis County and can see Highway 40 from his yard.
Besides the noise, he says he's trying to figure out the best way to drive to his job in north county and get his daughter to school.
"My little girl goes to preschool, and we usually cross Highway 40 going south, so there might be a problem there too," Boudaine said Tuesday.
Hofarth said MODOT now has more detailed maps of the project, which will be available online at thenewi64.org later this week.
MODOT is planning additional open house meetings next Tuesday (February 6th) at Brentwood Middle School, and on February 13th at the County Library on Lindbergh Boulevard. Both run from 4-7 p.m.