I-64/US-40 Daniel Boone bridge replacement

[Lyon Wonder]

The original 1935 Daniel Boone bridge on I-64/US-40 over the Missouri River is now in the process of being replaced with the construction of a new bridge opening in late 2014.  The 1935 span is the original US-40 Daniel Boone bridge that has 3 narrow lanes and carries I-64 traffic westbound, while the newer 1991 bridge is eastbound with 4 wider lanes.  The new bridge will be built downstream from the 1991 span, and after it's completion will carry traffic eastbound while the 1991 will be reconfigured for traffic westbound.  The new bridge is supposed to have an extra lane for bicycle/pedestrian traffic too. 

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/stcharles/new-boone-bridge-span-expected-to-open-by-late/article_12b54c6e-cab6-11e1-ab4c-001a4bcf6878.html

MoDOT website
http://www.modot.mo.gov/stlouis/major_projects/NewDanielBooneBridge.htm

[alex5793]

My first thought is how expensive that extra lane for bike / ped is going to be.....but it is probably cheaper to add it onto the I-64 bridge than to build a separate ped/bike bridge. 

[Scott5114]

Whose bright idea is it to put all these pedestrian/bike lanes on Interstate facilities, anyway? I mean, I guess if you have it walled off from the car traffic it's not as unsafe as it could be, but wouldn't it make more sense to direct pedestrians and bikes to a quieter crossing on a city street?

[NE2]

Whose bright idea is it to put all these pedestrian/bike lanes on Interstate facilities, anyway? I mean, I guess if you have it walled off from the car traffic it's not as unsafe as it could be, but wouldn't it make more sense to direct pedestrians and bikes to a quieter crossing on a city street?

Please look at a map before you kneejerk. All the Missouri River crossings here are full freeways. One of them (Route 370) even has special bike on- and offramps on each side, and another (Route 364) has a sidepath. The latter is presumably what's planned for I-64.

[Lyon Wonder]

The original 1935 Daniel Boone bridge on I-64/US-40 over the Missouri River is now in the process of being replaced with the construction of a new bridge opening in late 2014.  The 1935 span is the original US-40 Daniel Boone bridge that has 3 narrow lanes and carries I-64 traffic westbound, while the newer 1991 bridge is eastbound with 4 wider lanes.  The new bridge will be built downstream from the 1991 span, and after it's completion will carry traffic eastbound while the 1991 will be reconfigured for traffic westbound.  The new bridge is supposed to have an extra lane for bicycle/pedestrian traffic too. 

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/stcharles/new-boone-bridge-span-expected-to-open-by-late/article_12b54c6e-cab6-11e1-ab4c-001a4bcf6878.html

MoDOT website
http://www.modot.mo.gov/stlouis/major_projects/NewDanielBooneBridge.htm

If MoDOT wanted too they could keep the original 1935 bridge for pedestrian and bicycle use instead of incorporating a pedestrian lane into the new bridge.  But I guess MoDOT doesn't want the hassle of maintaining the original span along with the two newer bridges.

[Revive 755]

^ MoDOT was originally going to keep the original 1935 bridge for WB traffic entering 40 from Chesterfield Airport Road plus a bike lane, but IIRC this plan was abandoned in favor of the current one new upstream bridge/remove the current WB bridge plan due to concerns over one of the foundations deteriorating.

[Mdcastle]

So they're building a boring concrete bridge this time.

One thing I noticed is that MO has built truss bridges fairly recently: Daniel Boone (1991), Jefferson City (1991), Liberty Bend (1996), Mark Twain Memorial (2000) to name four I've been across.

Are there engineering reasons Missouri has built truss bridges later than more states, or was it pure aesthetics/desire to match the existing structures?

[Revive 755]

^ You forgot the Discovery (MO 370), 1992.

The "new" WB Blanchette is going to be a truss bridge; reason I got was for the new bridge to closely resemble the historic WB bridge being replaced.  I'm guessing if the new Boone Bridge was going to be rebuilt on the piers of the current WB bridge, it's possible the same criteria could have applied.

[NYYPhil777]

^ You forgot the Discovery (MO 370), 1992.

The "new" WB Blanchette is going to be a truss bridge; reason I got was for the new bridge to closely resemble the historic WB bridge being replaced.  I'm guessing if the new Boone Bridge was going to be rebuilt on the piers of the current WB bridge, it's possible the same criteria could have applied.

I was really surprised to see that the new I-64 bridge won't be a cantilever bridge when I checked the MoDOT website. Hopefully MoDOT will also remove that non-interstate highway standard road that leads to that communication pole (it can be seen before the bridge, currently if going eastbound 64). Access to Chesterfield Airport Road will be improved, too. But then, there's no need for the partial-Y interchange with Long Rd.

On a final note, MoDOT could improve the interchanges with MO-94 and Route K by making them full cloverleafs. That way, there's no need for the road between K and 94.

Happy Roadgeeking,
NYYPhil777

[SteveG1988]

Old post ressurection.

January 2016: New bridge fully open, 1989 bridge converted to eastbound traffic, as of Jan 21 2016 demolition at mid-span has commenced. Deck is currently being removed.

I am not sure of the conversion date, but i was still under the impression that it was still 1935 bridge for westbound traffic, due to the 1989 bridge being converted. may have happened in November.

[wolfiefrick]

This whole thing with the Daniel Boone bridge makes me so sad. That bridge has been there for eons and it was made so beautifully. Driving over it I could tell that the people who constructed it took great pride in their craft, and the bridge is being replaced with another ugly flat concrete bridge. When it was built, it carried two lanes of US-40 and it was gorgeous. I remember seeing some old postcards with beautiful aerial views of the single bridge.