ST. LOUIS - Traffic continued to flow well around the St. Louis region for July, seven months after the closure of five miles of Interstate 64 from Interstate 270 to Interstate 170 on January 2.  With the first month of summer, volumes have again decreased slightly on some of the interstates and the travel times have also improved.

     "We are still closely monitoring how traffic is moving along our arterials," said Tom Blair, MoDOT's Assistant District Engineer.  "For instance, Gateway Constructors adjusted some of the timing along Olive Blvd. (Route 340) and the average morning travel times during the heaviest period of travel dropped more than six minutes. We will see a slow increase in the amount of traffic this month as schools start back in session and people return from vacation."

     Since the beginning of the closure of I-64, Metro has seen about a 10 percent increase in the number of riders, helping reduce congestion and keeping traffic moving.

     Here are the major observations from the month of July:

• 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 slightly.
• St. Louis County reports a slight decrease in traffic volumes on Clayton Road and Ladue Road compared to the month of June, however the volumes are still up significantly compared to before the closure. 

     MoDOT and its transportation partners will continue to monitor the roads on a regular 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 www.thenewi64.org.

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