MoDOT to close ramp from Lewis Road to WB I-44
The Missouri Department of Transportation has closed the Lewis Road overpass exit to the Park - the westbound exit is closed, so anyone traveling west from here has to go east to the Antire road exit, cross over I-44 there and then head back west. Antire Road is exit 269, east of Exit 266. Exit 266 is Lewis Road.
ST. LOUIS - The Missouri Department of Transportation and its contractor, Concrete Strategies, Inc., will close entrance ramp from Lewis Road to westbound Interstate 44 after evening rush Thursday, June 18.
Crews need to close the ramp to start rehabilitation work on the westbound I-44 bridge over the Meramec River. The ramp is scheduled to remain closed for safety until mid-September.
Drivers will need to take eastbound I-44 to Antire Road as a detour for westbound I-44 during the ramp closure. MoDOT is working hard with the contractor to minimize the length of this ramp closure.
During this work, MoDOT will keep three lanes open on westbound I-44 during the daytime, although there will be lane closures at night and on weekends. Drivers can expect lanes to split during the work when crews work in the middle lanes of the bridge.
There will be minimal impacts to eastbound I-44.
Crews will also replace the bridge deck on Lewis Road, which will require restricting traffic across the bridge to one lane during the second part of the project, starting sometime in mid-July. MoDOT will put up signals on each end of the bridge to control traffic during that work, which should run through early September.
Drivers can expect narrow, shifted lanes in westbound I-44 throughout the course of the work. Plan ahead to avoid work zones by calling 1-888-ASK-MODOT or visiting our website at www.modot.org/.
Travelers can get up-to-the-minute traffic information on interstates or major state routes by dialing 5-1-1 from most cell phones; if 5-1-1 isn't available from your telephone, please dial 877-478-5511 (877-4STL-511).
What is included in the project?
This project will rehabilitate the westbound Interstate 44 bridge over the Meramec River and replace the bridge deck on the Lewis Road Overpass over I-44.
What is the problem with the bridges?
These two bridges were built in 1968 and have had no major renovation work since. The bridges have slowly deteriorated due to routine traffic and regular freeze-thaw cycle during winter as well as the corrosive impact of salt. This has had a significant impact on the bridges - this work is intended to help complete preventative maintenance on the two bridge which will help significantly extend the bridge's usable lives.
How will this impact traffic?
On westbound I-44, MoDOT will keep three lanes open during the day, but drivers can expect lane closures at night and during weekends. Drivers can expect narrow, shifted lanes throughout the course of the work. For safety reasons crews will close the ramp from Lewis Road to westbound I-44 during the project. To access westbound I-44 from Lewis Road, drivers can take eastbound I-44 to Antire Road and turn around at the interchange. There will be minimal impacts to eastbound I-44 during the project.
On Lewis Road, crews will be replacing the bridge deck, and the contractor will restrict traffic across Lewis Road to one lane during the first part of the project. MoDOT will have signals put up on each end of the bridge to control traffic during that work, which should run through late summer. During the remainder of the project, we will keep both lanes open.
What other options were reviewed?
MoDOT conferred with the staff of the Route 66 State Park about using the bridge through the park as a possible detour. Two years ago, MoDOT restricted this bridge to one lane and to vehicles weighing 10-tons or less because of safety concerns. If MoDOT opened this bridge to traffic heading to westbound I-44 during this project, there would be no way to control the trucks that went over the bridge. This would accelerate the deterioration of the Route 66 State Park bridge and might bring about its closure. Additionally, the staff of the park expressed concerns about routing traffic through the park due to the safety concerns for both drivers and pedestrians/cyclists.
MoDOT is doing everything it can to minimize the closure on the westbound I-44 ramp. The contractor gets an additional $4,200 as an incentive for every day they open the ramp early (before 128 days) up to $200,000.
If the ramp is closed, why not extend it?
Some people have expressed concern that the ramp to westbound I-44 is too short and that MoDOT should use the time it is closed to extend the ramp. MoDOT knows the ramp is too short, as the ramp is close to the Meramec River Bridge; however, the department doesn't currently have the $3 million to widen the bridge (which would be needed to extend the ramp. This is a project MoDOT will consider in the future, if funding becomes available.
What is the cost?
This contract was awarded to Concrete Strategies, Inc., for $3.7 million. That price includes potential incentives for completing work early.
For more information:
http://www.modot.org/stlouis/major_projects/BridgerehabnearLewisRoad.htm
Also, for additional information see http://www.mostateparks.com/route66.htm
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