ST. LOUIS - Traffic is flowing very well around the St. Louis region for the second month after the closure of five miles of Interstate 64 from Interstate 270 to Interstate 170 on January 2.  MoDOT and local officials are pleased with the success to date and the consistency of daily traffic.  The success can be attributed to advanced planning, communication, cooperation and the actions of all St. Louisans.

Here are the major observations from the month of February:

· Morning and evening rush periods have been reduced back to two hours instead of spreading out over three hours like in January.

· The peak time during the rush continues to be 7 - 8 a.m. and 5 - 6 p.m., just like before the closure.  Avoiding these peak morning and evening hours will improve travel times.

· Travel times on the interstates are similar to before the closure and in some sections of interstate better than before the closure.

· Volumes on the arterial streets continue to increase with volumes higher in February than in January.  The biggest increase in volumes has been on Olive, Lindbergh, Clayton and Ladue Roads but the travel times continue to remain about the same.

· Weather played a significant factor in traffic during February with snow events on February 5, 6, 11, 12, 18, 21 and 22.

Tips for Optimal Travel: 

· Drivers should continue to shift their commute time when possible. 

o On the arterials, the peak travel times are from 7 - 8 during the a.m. peak and 4:30 - 5:30 during the p.m. peak. 

o By shifting your commute time by 1 hour either way, drivers can many times cut their commute times in half. 

· Incidents and crashes have been and will continue to be the source of unexpected congestion problems.  There were more than 670 incidents during the month that impacted traffic.  Motorists need to slow down and drive attentively to avoid causing these crashes, which impede the flow of traffic.  Move off the road if you are in a non-injury crash.

Here are some additional updates on regional traffic issues:

· The I-70 reversible lanes continue to be monitored to determine the correct flow.  The I-70 reversible lanes were reversed on January 8 due to the changing traffic patterns on I-70.  The reversibles now flow westbound in the a.m. rush and eastbound in the p.m. rush.  Travel times continue to be improved from before on I-70.  In the morning rush, the westbound lanes are 2,600 vehicles more than the eastbound direction.  In the evening rush, the eastbound lanes are 3,600 vehicles more than the westbound direction.

· Brentwood Boulevard has experienced increased congestion in February.   The access to northbound I-170 from Eager Road was closed due to safety concerns and space limitations.  The morning and evening peak hour is congested as motorists take northbound Brentwood to Galleria Parkway to access I-170.  Motorists are advised to avoid the peak a.m. and p.m. hour if possible.  Alternate access to I-170 is available by taking Brentwood to Forest Park Parkway to I-170.

MoDOT and its transportation partners will continue to monitor the roads on a daily basis and provide updates on the web twice a month including a monthly summary.  For more information on the I-64 project and to stay updated on the construction schedule, visit http://www.thenewi64.org/  on the I-64 project and to stay updated on the construction schedule, visit http://www.thenewi64.org/.