By Rachel Lippmann, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Traffic on eastbound Forest Park Parkway at Debaliviere Avenue will be down to one lane starting after the Friday morning rush for emergency concrete repairs.
All lanes are expected to be open by Monday morning, said St. Louis city streets director Todd Waelterman. Crews have to replace eight concrete panels that are unlikely to last until Interstate 64 reopens in December.
"It appears to be remnants of the construction of the MetroLink tunnel," Waelterman said. "Whether it was the quality that went in, or whether it was just the impact their construction had on them, they're failing now."
The city is unlikely to try and hold the contractor, Tarlton, responsible, Waelterman said. Tarlton was in charge of the tunneling and repaving work for the stretch of the Cross-County extension from DeBaliviere to Skinker.
"If it would have failed in 60, 90 days, a matter of months, it would have been a no-brainer," Waelterman said. "But we're years down the road here, so this is just something the city needs to absorb."
Waelterman had no estimates on the cost of the repairs. He advised drivers to use Delmar as an alternate route - that road is completely open following bridge construction just east of the Loop.