Business Loop I-70 - St. Charles
Business Loop I-70 at St. Charles follows 1st Capitol Drive north and east, partially alongside Missouri 94, from Exit 228 to Downtown. 5th Street returns the 2.83 mile route back to Interstate 70 at Exit 229.
Historically First Capitol Drive east from Lindenwood University was named Clay Street. U.S. 40 Bypass and Missouri 94 followed Clay east to 2nd Street, which MO 94 stills follows north from Clark Street. U.S. 40 Bypass spanned the Missouri across the Old St. Charles Bridge east from Adams Street on what was later Missouri 115. That bridge was closed in 1992 and replaced by the Discovery Bridge (Missouri 370).
The 1964 Rand McNally Map of St. Louis displays Business Loop I-70 along a route following West Clay Street, from the I-70 (Mark Twain Expressway) transition to U.S. 40 Bypass at Zumbehl Road, eastward to Downtown St. Charles and 2nd Street. 2nd Street directed the loop northward to the Old St. Charles Bridge across the Missouri River. St. Charles Rock Road extended the route into St. Louis County, ending Business Loop I-70 at Interstate 270 opposite MO 115 and 180, just north of its former end at I-70/244.
East
Business Loop I-70 commences at a single point urban interchange (SPUI) between Interstate 70 and Missouri 94 (First Capitol Drive). A folded diamond interchange follows between First Capitol Drive and Boone's Lick Road.
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Leaving the SPUI with Interstate 70 and Boone's Lick Road, a reassurance marker appears at Sunset Drive for Missouri 94.
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The first shield for Business Loop I-70 resides after the First Capitol Drive intersection with Sunset Drive east. An array of businesses line the arterial to Lindenwood University.
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West Clay Street, the historic alignment of U.S. 40 Bypass west to St. Peters ties into Business Loop I-70 & Missouri 94 (First Capitol Drive) east at Lindenwood University.
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Business Loop I-70 & Missouri 94 shift eastward onto a November-2002 completed realignment of First Capitol Avenue between Tompkins Street and Kingshighway.
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Approaching the First Capitol Avenue split with Kingshighway north on Missouri 94 and Business Loop I-70 east.
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Kingshighway angles northeast from First Capitol Avenue at Lindenwood University to Randolph Street near Blanchette Park. Missouri 94 followed Kingshighway north to Clark Street east to 2nd Street historically, but now continues alongside Business Loop I-70 east to 5th Street.
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First Capitol Avenue maintains four lanes between Kingshighway and Fifth Street in Downtown St. Charles.
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6th Street heads north from Boone's Lick Road to Kingshighway, intersecting Business Loop I-70 & MO 94 (First Capitol Avenue) at this traffic light.
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Business Loop I-70 prepares to turn southward along 5th Street to link Downtown with Interstate 70 at the Blanchette Bridge.
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Missouri 94 overtakes 5th Street north from First Capitol Drive to Clark Street. The state highway arcs northeast from St. Charles to Boschertown, Orchard Farm and West Alton through a flat agricultural area between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
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East
Traveling south from Downtown, Business Loop I-70 (5th Street) east lowers to a set of pedestrian signals preceding Pike Street.
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Boone's Lick Road meets Business Loop I-70 east for the second time as 5th Street expands into a busy commercial arterial ahead of I-70.
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Bass Pro Drive east and Ameristar Boulevard west come together at the next signalized intersection of Business Loop I-70 (5th Street) east. The west-east road provides access to the Mark Twain Village retail area and the Ameristar Casino on the Missouri River.
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Business Loop I-70 enters a six-ramp parclo interchange located just west of the Blanchette Bridge.
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The westbound I-70 ramp to O'Fallon, Wentzville, Columbia and Kansas City departs 5th Street south.
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Business Loop I-70 east ends at the loop ramp onto onto the Blanchette Bridge east to Bridgeton and Maryland Heights.
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5th Street continues south from Interstate 70 and Business Loop I-70 to South River Road and suburban neighborhoods at Fairgrounds Road.
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References:
- "Company is Picked to Realign, Improve First Capitol Drive." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 2002.
Photo Credits:
- ABRoads: 05/03/12
Page Updated Thursday November 14, 2013.