Interstate 70 Blanchette Missouri River Bridge Project

June 10, 2022 Update:

MoDOT bridge work on eastbound Interstate 70 Blanchette

Bridge to occur Sunday night, June 12

ST. CHARLES COUNTY –

Due to numerous weather delays, the epoxy work on the eastbound I-70 Missouri River Blanchette bridge will take place Sunday night with the two right lanes closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. The 5th Street on ramp WILL REMAIN OPEN, but drivers are asked to slow down and use caution merging onto eastbound I-70.

Next week, crews will close the two right lanes and the 5th Street on ramp during nighttime work from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday. All work is weather permitting.

Motorists are encouraged to use Route 370 and Route 364 as alternate routes. Drivers can also use Route 364 to Arena Parkway. The closest alternate to 5th Street and I-70 is just one mile away at Route 94. Commercial vehicles are encouraged to use I-70 to Route 370 to I-270 to cross the St. Louis region.

This epoxy work is part of the rehabilitation project that began in summer 2020 involving the structure and truss. Due to an unforeseen nationwide material supply issue, the epoxy deck sealing for the driving surface could not be completed at that time.

May 16, 2022 Update: MoDOT begins bridge work on the eastbound Interstate 70 Blanchette Bridge Monday, May 16

ST. CHARLES COUNTY – Drivers using eastbound I-70 may experience delays as the Interstate 70 Blanchette Missouri River Bridge rehabilitation project begins Monday night, May 16, weather permitting. Crews will apply epoxy to the bridge driving surface.

Two right lanes of eastbound I-70 are expected to close Monday, May 16, Tuesday, May 17, Wednesday, May 18, and Thursday, May 19 nightly from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. All work is weather permitting.

Motorists are encouraged to use Route 370 and Route 364 as alternate routes. Drivers can also use Route 364 to Arena Parkway. The closest alternate to 5th Street and I-70 is just one mile away at Route 94. Commercial vehicles are encouraged to use I-70 to Route 370 to I-270 to cross the St. Louis region.

This epoxy work is part of the rehabilitation project that began in summer 2020 involving the structure and truss. Due to an unforeseen nationwide material supply issue, the epoxy deck sealing for the driving surface could not be completed at that time.

May 10, 2022 Update: Eastbound Interstate 70 Blanchette Bridge bridge work rescheduled beginning Thursday, May 12

Due to contractor availability, the Interstate 70 Blanchette Missouri River Bridge rehabilitation project is now scheduled to begin Thursday, May 12, weather permitting. Drivers using eastbound I-70 may experience delays as crews apply epoxy to the bridge driving surface.

All work is weather permitting. The revised schedule for various lane closures nightly from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. is:

• Two right lanes of eastbound I-70 will be closed Thursday, May 12, Friday, May 13 and then again Monday, May 16 and Tuesday, May 17.
• The three right lanes close Wednesday, May 18 through Thursday, May 19. During this lane closure, the ramp from 5th street to eastbound I-70 will also be closed.
• The three right lanes are also closed on Friday, May 20. During this lane closure, the ramp from 5th Street to eastbound I-70 will be open. 5th Street on ramp traffic will merge into the work zone.
• The two far left lanes of eastbound I-70 will be closed Monday, May 23, Tuesday, May 24 and Wednesday, May 25.

Motorists are encouraged to use Route 370 and Route 364 as alternate routes. Drivers can also use Route 364 to Arena Parkway. The closest alternate to 5th Street and I-70 is just one mile away at Route 94. Commercial vehicles are encouraged to use I-70 to Route 370 to I-270 to cross the St. Louis region.

May 4, 2022 update: Eastbound Interstate 70 Blanchette Bridge work beginning Tuesday, May 10

Drivers using eastbound Interstate 70 crossing the Blanchette Missouri River Bridge may experience delays as crews complete the rehabilitation project by applying epoxy to the roadway.

Various lane closures occur nightly from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. All work is weather permitting:

• Two right lanes of eastbound I-70 are expected to close Tuesday, May 10 through Friday, May 13.
• The three right lanes close Monday, May 16 through Wednesday, May 18. During this lane closure, the ramp from 5th street to eastbound I-70 will also be closed.
• The two far left lanes of eastbound I-70 will be closed Thursday, May 19, Friday, May 20 and then again on Monday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 24.

Motorists are encouraged to use Route 370 and Route 364 as alternate routes. Drivers can also use Route 364 to Arena Parkway. The closest alternate to 5th Street and I-70 is just one mile away at Route 94. Commercial vehicles are encouraged to use I-70 to Route 370 to I-270 to cross the St. Louis region.

September 10, 2021 eastbound bridge update

The rehabilitation of the Eastbound Blanchette Bridge structure and truss was substantially complete in November 2020, but some epoxy deck sealing does remain for the driving surface.  Due to an unforeseen nationwide material supply issue, the final application schedule is uncertain at this time and the material most likely will not be available until 2022.  The application will involve approximately a month of off-peak nighttime closures for Eastbound I-70 to apply the epoxy to the driving surface of the bridge.  A tentative work schedule will be provided once the epoxy material becomes available again.

Didn't MoDOT renovate the westbound bridge in 2012?

The westbound bridge was built in the late 1950's and a major rehabilitation was completed in 2012. During that time, the eastbound bridge carried both the eastbound and westbound traffic. Without those repairs, emergency repairs would have possibly been required at more frequent internals with longer closures.  The westbound bridge will be utilized to keep traffic flowing while the eastbound bridge is repaired. The  last major repairs to eastbound bridge were joint replacements in 2006.

What does this mean for drivers?

Motorists are encouraged to use Route 370 and Route 364 as the main alternative routes. Drivers can also use Route 364 to Arena Parkway. The closest alternate to Fifth Street and I-70 is just one mile away at Route 94. Motorists should consider flexing their work hours to avoid the peak traffic delays from 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. in the eastbound direction and 2:30 until 6 p.m. in the westbound direction. Commercial vehicles are strongly encouraged to use I-70 to Route 370 to I-270 to cross through the St. Louis region. 

Will there be impacts to the Katy Trail?

Yes, there will be occasional impacts to the Katy Trail. We  will need to cross the trail to move equipment and materials to and from the job site.  There is also work to the bridge that needs to be done next to or directly above the trail.  MoDOT  will work to minimize the impacts to the trail but there may be short periods of time that the trail has to close.  Closures will be coordinated with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in advance as well as publicized via news releases and social media. 

What is the complete construction schedule?

Motorists can expect to see delays beginning Monday, February 17. Work on the eastbound bridge will take place from March 2020-November 2020 and resume again in Spring 2021-December 2021.  Lanes will be shifted in early March, Eastbound I-70 will be reduced from 5 lanes to 4 lanes, 2 on the existing eastbound bridge and 2 will cross over to the westbound bridge separated by a barrier wall.  Because of this crossover setup, westbound I-70 will be reduced from 5 lanes to 3 lanes. For the duration of the lane restrictions on I-70, the Fairgrounds entrance ramp to I-70 eastbound will be closed as well. KCI Construction company was awarded the $33 million rehabilitation project. https://www.modot.org/node/17851

What if I have questions?

Feel free to send an email to Blanchettei70@modot.mo.gov or contact our customer service line at 1-888-ASK-MODOT(275-6636). KCI Construction Company is the contractor for this project.