St. Louis freeways

[mahaasma]

Hello,

I'm going to be traveling tomorrow from Wisconsin down to Cape Girardeau.  As I come into St Louis on I-55, google maps has some crazy directions right after crossing the river involving exiting onto memorial drive, then doing a u-turn and getting back onto I-44/55.  Is that really necessary?  Is there no easy way just to continue on I-55 south?

A quick reply would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[mvak36]

Idk if they're still doing the construction on the 2-lane flyover ramp from the Bridge to I-55 South. But if you're coming down I-55, you could just take 255 and avoid the downtown altogether.

Hello,

I'm going to be traveling tomorrow from Wisconsin down to Cape Girardeau.  As I come into St Louis on I-55, google maps has some crazy directions right after crossing the river involving exiting onto memorial drive, then doing a u-turn and getting back onto I-44/55.  Is that really necessary?  Is there no easy way just to continue on I-55 south?

A quick reply would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[rte66man]

Idk if they're still doing the construction on the 2-lane flyover ramp from the Bridge to I-55 South. But if you're coming down I-55, you could just take 255 and avoid the downtown altogether.

Hello,

I'm going to be traveling tomorrow from Wisconsin down to Cape Girardeau.  As I come into St Louis on I-55, google maps has some crazy directions right after crossing the river involving exiting onto memorial drive, then doing a u-turn and getting back onto I-44/55.  Is that really necessary?  Is there no easy way just to continue on I-55 south?

A quick reply would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Ditto that.  No reason to deal with St. Louis traffic headaches. 

[adt1982]

There's a good amount of construction on the downtown interstates.  Take 255, as others said, and you'll be fine.

[wolfiefrick]

There's a good amount of construction on the downtown interstates.  Take 255, as others said, and you'll be fine.

Yep, they're redoing all the freeways downtown because of the new Arch construction and the new bridge. Living in St. Louis, it's a headache.

[Revive 755]

The City of St. Charles is apparently studying what to do with MO 94 between MO 364 and I-70.  Three of the four options include upgrading MO 94 to a freeway.  The non-freeway option includes a CFI that crosses over the left turns from MO 94 at Zumbehl Road-Friedens Road.  All of the options seem to include modifying the SPUI at I-70 to provide a triple left for the WB I-70 to SB MO 94 movement.  Link to study.

[mvak36]

The City of St. Charles is apparently studying what to do with MO 94 between MO 364 and I-70.  Three of the four options include upgrading MO 94 to a freeway.  The non-freeway option includes a CFI that crosses over the left turns from MO 94 at Zumbehl Road-Friedens Road.  All of the options seem to include modifying the SPUI at I-70 to provide a triple left for the WB I-70 to SB MO 94 movement.  Link to study.

If they do the freeway option, would that be something like MO364 and MO370 are currently?

[wolfiefrick]

The City of St. Charles is apparently studying what to do with MO 94 between MO 364 and I-70.  Three of the four options include upgrading MO 94 to a freeway.  The non-freeway option includes a CFI that crosses over the left turns from MO 94 at Zumbehl Road-Friedens Road.  All of the options seem to include modifying the SPUI at I-70 to provide a triple left for the WB I-70 to SB MO 94 movement.  Link to study.

If they do the freeway option, would that be something like MO364 and MO370 are currently?

What I think MODOT should do is slap an Interstate designation on MO-364 (possibly I-364 or I-164), and upgrade MO-94 to a freeway in between I-70 and MO-364/possible I-x64. It's obvious that MO-364 is up to Interstate requirements, it even has exit numbers and upwards of 10 lanes in some spots!

[ChiMilNet]

The City of St. Charles is apparently studying what to do with MO 94 between MO 364 and I-70.  Three of the four options include upgrading MO 94 to a freeway.  The non-freeway option includes a CFI that crosses over the left turns from MO 94 at Zumbehl Road-Friedens Road.  All of the options seem to include modifying the SPUI at I-70 to provide a triple left for the WB I-70 to SB MO 94 movement.  Link to study.

If they do the freeway option, would that be something like MO364 and MO370 are currently?

What I think MODOT should do is slap an Interstate designation on MO-364 (possibly I-364 or I-164), and upgrade MO-94 to a freeway in between I-70 and MO-364/possible I-x64. It's obvious that MO-364 is up to Interstate requirements, it even has exit numbers and upwards of 10 lanes in some spots!

I know there have been reasons given, but why doesn't MoDOT just do what needs to be done to get Interstate designations for both 364 and 370? They are already up to standards, and I think it would just help to encourage traffic to use them. 370 is a convenient alternative to I-70, and it just makes sense to make it an Interstate. 364 is much the same thing for I-64.

Regarding this MO 94 freeway idea, why does it not surprise me one bit that 3 of 4 designs would be a freeway right up until a continued substandard interchange at I-70? MoDOT seems to be famous for doing this! Seriously, build a flyover at least from WB I-70 to SB 94.

[Revive 755]

Found this article that indicates more rush hour traffic is using the MO 364 bridge over the Blanchette/I-70 bridges:
http://70westsentinel.com/newsdesk/traffic-increase-on-route-364-prompts-closer-look-at-i-70-corridor/

The most recent traffic volume map from MoDOT (2015) had MO 364's volume at the river only slightly less than that at the Boone Bridge (US 40).

[Revive 755]

There have been a couple recent rumblings from MoDOT in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the PSB will need replacement in 30 years, with one of the recent road crew chats indicating planning may start in 10 years.

[jakeroot]

If you guys don't mind, I'm gonna attach myself to this thread (regardless of how heavily it's used). I lived in St Louis, off and on, for about three years starting in 2009. My father was stationed at Scott AFB, and we lived downtown near the Culinaria (great store btw). I got a pretty good idea of what the area was like, so, without further ado...

Road observations...

The 64 was one the nicest freeways that I've ever driven. Only thing to come close is the rebuilt 520 freeway here in Seattle (which uses asphalt).
The 70 between the airport and downtown was not the greatest -- it was where we usually saw congestion, and the surface wasn't in the greatest shape
The connection between the 64 and 170 freeways was outstanding, especially compared to what it replaced
STL county seemed to have far worse roads than the suburbs. They just weren't taken care of at all.

General observations...

I have never seen so many malls in my life. Our favorite was the Galleria (also closest to our apartment), but I also liked West County a lot
I walked into the Frontenac mall a couple times, and I felt like people were staring us down for wearing inferior brands or something
We don't have Wehrenberg Theatres back in Seattle, so the "wehrenBEEERRG" intro always made us laugh (waaayy over the top) (our favorite theater was the AMC at Chesterfield)
Ted Drewes Custard and Pappy's Smokehouse were two of our favorite eateries
The area gave me my first taste of both Five Guys and Buffalo Wild Wings (neither existed in Seattle before 2011)
The weather/humidity+dew point/temperature was a complete change from Seattle. That took some getting used to, but it was cool after a while (not literally -- it was outrageously hot all the time)

[Revive 755]

I have never seen so many malls in my life. Our favorite was the Galleria (also closest to our apartment), but I also liked West County a lot
I walked into the Frontenac mall a couple times, and I felt like people were staring us down for wearing inferior brands or something

I think you were there after the better times for the malls, before Crestwood and St. Louis Mills starting dying.  Now I here the Chesterfield Mall is spiraling towards death as well.

[jakeroot]

I have never seen so many malls in my life. Our favorite was the Galleria (also closest to our apartment), but I also liked West County a lot
I walked into the Frontenac mall a couple times, and I felt like people were staring us down for wearing inferior brands or something

I think you were there after the better times for the malls, before Crestwood and St. Louis Mills starting dying.  Now I here the Chesterfield Mall is spiraling towards death as well.

Never got involved with Crestwood (I think it was already dead). I remember walking through the mills, surprised by all the independent shops, thinking that a mall of this magnitude really ought to have more well-known brands. Myself, my father, and my sister did the go-kart Nascar circuit thing (apparently now closed) and I remember seeing the Blues training centre as well.

I never spent much time inside Chesterfield (mostly just went there because we like AMC), but certainly its proximity to that Commons shopping area might make competition stiff (if not lethal).

[ColossalBlocks]

Hello,

I'm going to be traveling tomorrow from Wisconsin down to Cape Girardeau.  As I come into St Louis on I-55, google maps has some crazy directions right after crossing the river involving exiting onto memorial drive, then doing a u-turn and getting back onto I-44/55.  Is that really necessary?  Is there no easy way just to continue on I-55 south?

A quick reply would be appreciated.  Thanks.

As a guy who lives down in Cape Girardeau, try to avoid K highway, it is a mass commercial mess during the week days.

[triplemultiplex]

The 64
The 70
the 64 and 170 freeways

That's West Coast talk!

[Revive 755]

MoDOT has completed the Environmental Assessment for I-270 from I-70 to the Chain of Rocks Bridge.  Link.  Highlights from Highlights from the preferred alternative:

* St. Charles Rock Road and McDonald Road become DDI's
* The US 67/Lindbergh interchange becomes a nasty looking partial cloverleaf with two-way connections to the outer roads across from the I-270 exits
* The outer roads appear to become one-way between Hanley Road and Old Halls Ferry Road

[Scott5114]

The 64
The 70
the 64 and 170 freeways

That's West Coast talk!

Yeah, everyone knows "the 64" is really called Highway Farty.

[sparker]

The 64
The 70
the 64 and 170 freeways

That's West Coast talk!

Yeah, everyone knows "the 64" is really called Highway Farty.

Farty?  That sounds more "imitation" Irish -- or even Bostonian -- than anything from StL! 

[skluth]

The 64
The 70
the 64 and 170 freeways

That's West Coast talk!

Yeah, everyone knows "the 64" is really called Highway Farty.

Farty?  That sounds more "imitation" Irish -- or even Bostonian -- than anything from StL! 

It's strange but true. I've lived here most of the last 30 years. It's mostly older white people who say it. They also say "warsh" for wash.

[sparker]

The 64
The 70
the 64 and 170 freeways

That's West Coast talk!

Yeah, everyone knows "the 64" is really called Highway Farty.

Farty?  That sounds more "imitation" Irish -- or even Bostonian -- than anything from StL! 

It's strange but true. I've lived here most of the last 30 years. It's mostly older white people who say it. They also say "warsh" for wash.

Many of my St. Louis-based relatives (who certainly fit the description of "older white people") do say warsh when referring to wash -- but the only time I've heard "40" vocalized, it's been "fordy" with a slightly rolling "R".  Interestingly, a buddy who hails from Ottawa, Ontario, does pronounce 40 as "farty" -- the sole time that's been the case outside of New England!

[ColossalBlocks]

What were the plans for the MO 21 freeway?

There were plans to extend the freeway further south to DeSoto (not really necessary IMO, but would have been nice). I don't remember hearing of plans to convert any other parts of MO 21 to freeway.

I doubt it's gonna happen, if they plan on making it a freeway following it's present route would be pretty damn dangerous. Too many winding curves an mountains. Also lack of funding, and driveways.

[Revive 755]

^ The freeway was to be a new but parallel to the existing alignment, see http://www.modot.org/stlouis/major_projects/documents/MapofRoute21CorridorProjects.pdf.

[intelati49]

So yeah. Reminded of MO755 by the "Worst Freeway Designs" thread. So I'm researching that now.

I have already found an interesting article. Lessons Learned from Route 755

[JMoses24]

Anyone know what they're doing at MO 141 and I-44?