By Bill Raack, St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis, MO – Interstate 64 will open again in St. Louis Monday morning after a $524 million reconstruction project that spanned close to two years.
Transportation officials and political leaders cut the ribbon Sunday on the second half of the project - a five-mile stretch of highway between I-170 and Kingshighway. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay says the closure may have been painful but it also taught motorists some lessons.
"First of all we learned a little something about patience. We learned about taking the scenic route which brought us through some neighborhoods we've not - and sometimes by mistake - that we didn't see before but we learned more about our city and our region as a result of that and I think that was a good thing," Slay said.
Cold temperatures didn't keep thousands from turning out on Sunday to run, walk and bike on the new pavement for several hours.
The section was formally named "Jack Buck Memorial Highway" after the late St. Louis sports broadcaster.