New I-70 Mississippi River Bridge

[kharvey10]

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/gov-nixon-asks-gov-quinn-to-join-him-in-bi/article_3680a6ca-91cc-52ba-b7d5-d063896a86fe.html

The politicians want to name it after Stan Musial but the real push first started the day after Musial died on KMOX radio with overwhelming public support.

In fact, this radio station has a petition: http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/kmox-petition-to-name-new-mississippi-bridge-in-stan-musials-honor/

[NE2]

It'll probably get named after some dead freedom fighter soldier.

[Alex]

I have never been a fan of naming highways after sports figures...though I make the exception of roads that serve a sports venue.

Is I-70 still designated the Mark McGwire Highway? Even when I liked McGwire, I thought this was a dumb move.

[TheStranger]

I have never been a fan of naming highways after sports figures...though I make the exception of roads that serve a sports venue.

When the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike became the Tom Landry Freeway a few years ago, it didn't serve Texas Stadium, but now it's pretty close to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Dolphin Expressway in Miami got its name right after its namesake team gave the city its first professional sports title.  It passed very close to the Orange Bowl (now demolished and replaced with the current Marlins ballpark).

[Alex]

When the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike became the Tom Landry Freeway a few years ago, it didn't serve Texas Stadium, but now it's pretty close to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Dolphin Expressway in Miami got its name right after its namesake team gave the city its first professional sports title.  It passed very close to the Orange Bowl (now demolished and replaced with the current Marlins ballpark).

I was thinking more of examples like Edgar Martinez Drive on the block in front of Safeco Field or Mazeroski Way adjacent to PNC Park.

[Lyon Wonder]

Last year in March a construction worker named Andy Gammon was killed during work on the bridge. Some people think the new bridge should be named after Gammon since he died while building the bridge.

http://dailyjournalonline.com/news/local/supporters-of-andy-gammon-want-lawmakers-to-reconsider-naming-of/article_b3e53348-66ff-11e2-8ce8-0019bb2963f4.html

[Revive 755]

One of the ramps under construction on the Illinois side for the bridge is apparently being redone after being constructed with the wrong superelevation:

http://www.kmov.com/news/editors-pick/New-Mississippi-River-bridge-project-goes-on-after-hiccup-190285831.html

[kharvey10]

Its official: Presdient Obama signed legislation dubbing the new I-70 Bridge as the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/stan-span-gets-obama-approval/article_4648d990-3f02-5597-a62b-4dc5a0673ff5.html

[Henry]

Speaking as a Cubs fan, I think it's a great thing to see Stan the Man get honored on the hometown bridge. He's the one Cardinal I could never hate, and I was born seven years after he retired!

[Revive 755]

As of this weekend, some of the signs for the new bridge are up and uncovered on I-55/I-70.  There are at least two inverted Great River Road shields, one SB, one NB.

There is also a new diagrammatic sign on NB I-55/EB I-70 for the IL 203 exit near the Exchange Avenue overpass.

[PColumbus73]

Has anyone else noticed that this bridge looks A LOT like the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, SC? In general the Cable-Stayed Bridges seem to lack any kind of originality, the two bridges in Savannah and Brunswick, GA look like they were Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V'd from each other.

[Alps]

Has anyone else noticed that this bridge looks A LOT like the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, SC? In general the Cable-Stayed Bridges seem to lack any kind of originality, the two bridges in Savannah and Brunswick, GA look like they were Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V'd from each other.

Oh, then you'll love the Honda Bridge coming to NYC.

[Henry]

Has anyone else noticed that this bridge looks A LOT like the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, SC? In general the Cable-Stayed Bridges seem to lack any kind of originality, the two bridges in Savannah and Brunswick, GA look like they were Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V'd from each other.

Oh, then you'll love the Honda Bridge coming to NYC.

Honda Bridge? What is that?

[Alps]

Has anyone else noticed that this bridge looks A LOT like the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, SC? In general the Cable-Stayed Bridges seem to lack any kind of originality, the two bridges in Savannah and Brunswick, GA look like they were Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V'd from each other.

Oh, then you'll love the Honda Bridge coming to NYC.

Honda Bridge? What is that?

http://cmsimg.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BH&Date=20121223&Category=NEWS03&ArtNo=312230027&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&New-Tappan-Zee-will-world-s-widest-bridge-learn-its-design-secrets

[Revive 755]

The new I-70 bridge will open on February 9, 2014:
http://www.modot.org/stlouis/news_and_information/District6Release.shtml?action=displaySSI&newsId=191438

[kharvey10]

I posted some of the pics on the St. Louis Roads facebook group

1. IDOT has replaced most if not all signs from the Poplar Street Bridge to the split.
2. IDOT has not bothered to cover most of the signs
3. The brand new signs on the Poplar Street Bridge itself were made and installed by IDOT.
4. Not one sign on the Poplar Street Bridge is covered.

While MoDOT has taken care to cover up the I-44/55 concurrency from the one direction, IDOT just in the past month pops up signs on a bridge that MoDOT is on the hook for and signs what is still I-70 as I-44.  From what I know of, the FHWA has not given the final go ahead for the change. 

[m2tbone]

Details were just announced for a run scheduled for the day before this bridge opens.  There is a 6K run on the morning of February 8th.  I registered for it this morning.  I thought others may be interested in attending, too.  Here's the website for the run and other events related to the opening of the new bridge: 

http://bigriverrunning.com/bridgerun/index.php

[kharvey10]

I won't be able to make the opening ceremonies - I have to work 12 hour nights the entire weekend.

[m2tbone]

This new bridge opens to traffic this Sunday.  Saturday is for the public to check it out on foot and bicycle.  I'll be one if the first to check it out during the 6K Saturday morning.

[rickmastfan67]

This new bridge opens to traffic this Sunday.  Saturday is for the public to check it out on foot and bicycle.  I'll be one if the first to check it out during the 6K Saturday morning.

Make sure to take pictures of the new signage.

[Brandon]

This new bridge opens to traffic this Sunday.  Saturday is for the public to check it out on foot and bicycle.  I'll be one if the first to check it out during the 6K Saturday morning.

Make sure to take pictures of the new signage.

And all the IDOT District 8 errors. 

[m2tbone]

The run turns back over the bridge right after it gets to Illinois, so I won't be able to look for mistakes there until the road is opened to traffic the next day. 

[m2tbone]

The bridge opened to traffic today.  I-70 no longer crosses the same bridge as I-64 and I-55.  IDOT must not have gotten the memo.  Even though the road was open, it still showed I-70 toward Kansas City going Westbound as CLOSED on the overhead signs on I-64 approaching the new interchange that leads to the new bridge.  Besides that, well done by both MoDOT and IDOT!!

I must say, the bridge is very beautiful, too. 

[tdindy88]

Don't worry, Google doesn't have the memo either, I-70 still follows the Poplar Street Bridge according to them. I'm sure that will change though.

[Stephane Dumas]

I saw a video of the new I-70 bridge on Youtube