ST. LOUIS – Work is starting up again on Interstate 55 in Jefferson County. The work will require four long-term lane closures on northbound and southbound I-55.
Starting on Monday, April 16 at 12 a.m., crews will close one lane of northbound I-55 south of U.S. Route 61/67 for 20 days. Once that lane closure is complete, crews will close the other lane for 20 days. When work is complete in the northbound lanes, crews will move to southbound I-55. During the lane closures, concrete traffic barriers will be up and the open lane of traffic will be 12 foot wide.
In addition to the around-the-clock closures, weekend lane closures in various locations of I-55 will be starting up again soon. During the around-the-clock and weekend lane closures, drivers are reminded to use the zipper merge. Please fill up both lanes of traffic and take turns merging just before the closure point. This will actually make traffic flow better and decrease merging dangers. By using both lanes, you reduce the speed difference between the two lanes and can reduce the length of backups by up to 50-percent.
The lane closures are part of the ongoing project to rehab 21 bridges along I-55 from Route Z near Pevely to Plattin Creek just south of Crystal City (approximately 8 miles). In addition, I-55 from Route Z to the Ste. Genevieve County line (approximately 16 miles) will be resurfaced and guardrail and sign improvements will be made. The work began in March 2017 and will run through late 2018.
For more information on the project, go to http://www.modot.org/stlouis/major_projects/I55Improvements.htm.
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