Sights of St. Louis

[Alps]

As I trace US 66 through St. Louis, I'll also be traveling at least a few of the roads around the city. So I have a chance to see some "must-sees."
1) Are there any I-44/55/64/70 shields left? Or at least three of the four?
2) Does I-64 (aka US 40) west of the city have anything interesting left from before it was upgraded to Interstate standards?
3) The MacArthur bridge stub looks accessible from the west approach. So accessible I could drive up onto it. Is this ill-advised? Can I at least walk up there? If I can't drive up, where can I park?
4) Relatedly. it looks like the eastern approach is barricaded - good thing, it's been partially torn down. Is that something I can walk up?
5) Any button copy left, whether on a freeway or connecting road?
6) Besides the Miss River crossings, any important (especially truss) bridges I need to be seeing?
7) Any road closures that won't show up on online maps, or that are planned in the next couple of months?
8) Your comments here.

(Edit: I'll separate out the other thread from Tulsa to west of STL, because I think they will turn up different results.)

[bugo]

Be sure to check out Times Beach.  There is a deck truss bridge there and a neat museum.

[US71]

I don't know of any 55/70/44/64 assemblies, but there are probably a least a couple single shields with all 4 highways

There's a modern truss on I-255 over the river http://g.co/maps/8gdcj

There might be a truss or two on US 40 west of 64, but I have gaps in my intel.

Get a concrete at Ted Drewe's Custard

[agentsteel53]

I don't know of any 55/70/44/64 assemblies, but there are probably a least a couple single shields with all 4 highways

that would be a find.  closest we have on the shield gallery is three and one:

[US71]

I don't know of any 55/70/44/64 assemblies, but there are probably a least a couple single shields with all 4 highways

that would be a find.  closest we have on the shield gallery is three and one:

I would suggest checking downtown. I'm sure Rich Piehl would know where they are.

[intelati49]

I don't know of any 55/70/44/64 assemblies, but there are probably a least a couple single shields with all 4 highways

Atleast come 2013 when the New North I-70 interchange is done Eight more will be in existence.  Can I post a Jpeg of the relevant sign sheet? Or would I be shut down by MODOT?

[agentsteel53]

Atleast come 2013 when the New North I-70 interchange is done Eight more will be in existence.  Can I post a Jpeg of the relevant sign sheet? Or would I be shut down by MODOT?

there's a sign sheet for a four-way shield?  if so, please do post it!

[intelati49]

Atleast come 2013 when the New North I-70 interchange is done Eight more will be in existence.  Can I post a Jpeg of the relevant sign sheet? Or would I be shut down by MODOT?

there's a sign sheet for a four-way shield?  if so, please do post it!

Well a sign sheet with the quantities for signs that includes fourways. 

[agentsteel53]

Well a sign sheet with the quantities for signs that includes fourways. 

but not a pattern-accurate diagram of one?

[intelati49]

Well a sign sheet with the quantities for signs that includes fourways. 

but not a pattern-accurate diagram of one?

See for yourself 

[Alex]

There is a 44-55-70 combo shield on Washington Avenue eastbound at Memorial Drive (just ahead of the I-70 overpass and Eads Bridge):



A remnant one is attached to the back of a shield assembly ahead of that intersection:



There is a state-named 44-55 on Washington Avenue westbound at Memorial Drive (ahead of the I-70 viaduct):



That is what I found on a visit to the Gateway Arch last year, and I was not even trying to find them. 

[agentsteel53]

did not know that two shields existed using the '57 spec layout.  the really faded one has a remnant of a state name poking through where the numerals are falling off - the other one probably has a state name underneath, too, but is in better shape.

[Alps]

I don't know of any 55/70/44/64 assemblies, but there are probably a least a couple single shields with all 4 highways

that would be a find.  closest we have on the shield gallery is three and one:

I accept. Where's that one

[Brandon]

As I trace US 66 through St. Louis, I'll also be traveling at least a few of the roads around the city. So I have a chance to see some "must-sees."
3) The MacArthur bridge stub looks accessible from the west approach. So accessible I could drive up onto it. Is this ill-advised? Can I at least walk up there? If I can't drive up, where can I park?
4) Relatedly. it looks like the eastern approach is barricaded - good thing, it's been partially torn down. Is that something I can walk up?

As far as I know, no, you cannot drive on the approaches to the MacArthur Bridge.  In addition, I would advise against walking up the East Saint Louis side, even in daylight.  It is not in a very good neighborhood (as if much of ESL is a "good" neighborhood).  I drove the Eads and MLK Bridges several years ago, and drove into downtown ESL at night.  Very eerie, IMHO, with a lot of businesses boarded up.

[Alps]

As I trace US 66 through St. Louis, I'll also be traveling at least a few of the roads around the city. So I have a chance to see some "must-sees."
3) The MacArthur bridge stub looks accessible from the west approach. So accessible I could drive up onto it. Is this ill-advised? Can I at least walk up there? If I can't drive up, where can I park?
4) Relatedly. it looks like the eastern approach is barricaded - good thing, it's been partially torn down. Is that something I can walk up?

As far as I know, no, you cannot drive on the approaches to the MacArthur Bridge.  In addition, I would advise against walking up the East Saint Louis side, even in daylight.  It is not in a very good neighborhood (as if much of ESL is a "good" neighborhood).  I drove the Eads and MLK Bridges several years ago, and drove into downtown ESL at night.  Very eerie, IMHO, with a lot of businesses boarded up.

Skipped my mind that the east side of St. Louis is ESL. So... how about the west side? What's stopping me from going up there?

[Revive 755]

There might be a truss or two on US 40 west of 64, but I have gaps in my intel.

There is the pair of truss bridges across the Missouri River:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=38.684036,-90.661819&spn=0.014221,0.033023&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=38.683411,-90.661279&panoid=c4hZnORCo0bbi1yqFbcoaA&cbp=12,347.6,,0,0

and there's an old pony truss on what is now the west outer road in Lake St. Louis (though GSV shows it when it was still the westbound lanes of US 40):
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=38.78684,-90.803536&spn=0.0071,0.016512&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=38.786608,-90.803154&panoid=qudEKW7ESjVMx4K0XQzIrg&cbp=12,308.06,,0,4.91

[Brandon]

As I trace US 66 through St. Louis, I'll also be traveling at least a few of the roads around the city. So I have a chance to see some "must-sees."
3) The MacArthur bridge stub looks accessible from the west approach. So accessible I could drive up onto it. Is this ill-advised? Can I at least walk up there? If I can't drive up, where can I park?
4) Relatedly. it looks like the eastern approach is barricaded - good thing, it's been partially torn down. Is that something I can walk up?

As far as I know, no, you cannot drive on the approaches to the MacArthur Bridge.  In addition, I would advise against walking up the East Saint Louis side, even in daylight.  It is not in a very good neighborhood (as if much of ESL is a "good" neighborhood).  I drove the Eads and MLK Bridges several years ago, and drove into downtown ESL at night.  Very eerie, IMHO, with a lot of businesses boarded up.

Skipped my mind that the east side of St. Louis is ESL. So... how about the west side? What's stopping me from going up there?

You might be able to walk up it, but IIRC, driving any of it may be out of the question.

[Alps]

As I trace US 66 through St. Louis, I'll also be traveling at least a few of the roads around the city. So I have a chance to see some "must-sees."
3) The MacArthur bridge stub looks accessible from the west approach. So accessible I could drive up onto it. Is this ill-advised? Can I at least walk up there? If I can't drive up, where can I park?
4) Relatedly. it looks like the eastern approach is barricaded - good thing, it's been partially torn down. Is that something I can walk up?

As far as I know, no, you cannot drive on the approaches to the MacArthur Bridge.  In addition, I would advise against walking up the East Saint Louis side, even in daylight.  It is not in a very good neighborhood (as if much of ESL is a "good" neighborhood).  I drove the Eads and MLK Bridges several years ago, and drove into downtown ESL at night.  Very eerie, IMHO, with a lot of businesses boarded up.

Skipped my mind that the east side of St. Louis is ESL. So... how about the west side? What's stopping me from going up there?

You might be able to walk up it, but IIRC, driving any of it may be out of the question.

http://g.co/maps/2vcn5 shows that I could make it up the entrance (or exit) ramp up to the top before I hit a gate. That works for me.

[rte66man]

As I trace US 66 through St. Louis, I'll also be traveling at least a few of the roads around the city. So I have a chance to see some "must-sees."
3) The MacArthur bridge stub looks accessible from the west approach. So accessible I could drive up onto it. Is this ill-advised? Can I at least walk up there? If I can't drive up, where can I park?
4) Relatedly. it looks like the eastern approach is barricaded - good thing, it's been partially torn down. Is that something I can walk up?

As far as I know, no, you cannot drive on the approaches to the MacArthur Bridge.  In addition, I would advise against walking up the East Saint Louis side, even in daylight.  It is not in a very good neighborhood (as if much of ESL is a "good" neighborhood).  I drove the Eads and MLK Bridges several years ago, and drove into downtown ESL at night.  Very eerie, IMHO, with a lot of businesses boarded up.

Skipped my mind that the east side of St. Louis is ESL. So... how about the west side? What's stopping me from going up there?

You might be able to walk up it, but IIRC, driving any of it may be out of the question.

http://g.co/maps/2vcn5 shows that I could make it up the entrance (or exit) ramp up to the top before I hit a gate. That works for me.

Unless they've changed things, you don't have pavement wide enough to drive up.  Easy to walk up though.

rte66man

[kphoger]

I used to go to East Saint Louis every so often for work, driving a delivery truck–the federal court house, the SIU campus, the federal prison, a museum-type thing in the ghetto.  Here's my take on it:

The entrance and exit ramps in East Saint Louis, directly under I-55/64/70 are pretty cool, but it's easy to get disoriented.  I recommend taking the hospital exit and just turning random directions close to the overpass.  There are plenty of one-way streets, and some signs are easy to miss, but that just makes it all the more cool to me.  My favorite one, highly recommended, is getting on eastbound I-55/64/70 from Saint Louis Avenue, in which you actually pass under the roadway, then make a right turn between the two roadways, and come up the center:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=38.6284,-90.158315&spn=0.000012,0.004801&t=k&z=18&layer=c&cbll=38.628474,-90.158369&panoid=QiiB6PhKReFY2GypW1_H_g&cbp=12,342.61,,0,-0.3

The rest of East Saint Louis is pretty run-down.  Railroad crossings are very everywhere and most are bumpy, potholes are ubiquitous, many buildings are burned out or abandoned, IL-15 tends to flood when it rains.  It may be worth it to see downtown, which is right by where I was talking about, but there isn't much worth seeing farther south.