ST. LOUIS – This week is Work Zone Awareness Week, and the Missouri Department of Transportation is asking drivers to “Work With Us” as they travel through work zones in the greater St. Louis area and in Missouri and Illinois.
The week is a nation-wide reminder of the potential dangers of driving through work zones. Although traffic levels were lighter through the past year, they are starting to return to normal levels. Spring is the start of construction, where state and local agencies start the major projects needed to maintain the existing roadways and bridges to ensure that the system remains safe and operational.
Every year, MoDOT has an event where they and their partners in Illinois and Missouri share information about work zones. This year, due to the pandemic, that information is available in a video, which may be viewed here: https://youtu.be/PXPT5mp-C0E
“Although traffic levels have been down over the past year due to the pandemic, we are seeing a significant increase in the speeds people are traveling and seeing a large number of crashes. We have some major construction projects in the region – including the biggest project in the state, the I-270 North project, and continued work along I-44 and I-55. More importantly, we have maintenance teams out repairing potholes, picking up trash and many other tasks to keep our roads safe for travel. These operations move slowly along a roadway – even though there are signs warning of work ahead and arrows board on the vehicles, drivers can come upon them quickly if they are not paying attention.. We ask that drivers work with us and do their part to make Missouri roads safer. Please slow down and pay attention when you see our crews out there; move over if you can to give a little extra room, buckle up and put down cell phones and other distractions,” said MoDOT St. Louis District Engineer Tom Blair.
Last year, in the St. Louis region, drivers hit 29 MoDOT vehicles, with employees in them – almost two thirds of the vehicles struck within the state last year and nearly twice the average of vehicles struck in the St Louis region over the from the previous five years. All of those crashes have been into truck mounted attenuators – vehicles driven by MoDOT empoyees to help protect MoDOT employees by catching and stopping vehicles that may be heading into a work zone. Most of those crashes were due to drivers not paying attention or driving too fast.
Missouri’s Move Over law requires drivers to change lanes, if safe to do so, when approaching MoDOT vehicles, law enforcement vehicles and any other emergency vehicle with lights flashing. If drivers can’t change lanes safely, they must slow down as they pass the emergency vehicles.
Across the state, 27 Missourians died in crashes in work zones in 2020.
MoDOT projects expected to have the biggest traffic impact to motorists in and around the St. Louis region this year are:
(Note: projects are listed by location and not by overall potential impact)
- Louis City, I-44 bridge improvements at Jefferson – This project improves the Jefferson bridge. Crews will place a new driving surface from Nebraska to I-55. Will also include resurfacing work under the bridge. Resurfacing should be complete in spring 2021.
- Louis County, I-44 bridge replacement at the Meramec River. This project continues work on the I-44 bridges just west of I-270 over the Meramec. Update ramps between southbound I-270 and westbound I-44. Constructs shared use path and connections to existing trailways. Work continues through early 2022.
- Franklin County, I-44 St. Louis County Line to Route 30 and Loop 44 from St. Louis County to Route 100- Pavement improvements. Work should be complete in summer 2021.
- Louis County, I-55 – pavement repairs between Lindbergh and the city of St. Louis limits. Up to two lanes could be closed in either direction at night.
- Louis City, I-64 interchange improvements at Jefferson and 22nd Street. Drivers can expect lanes closed around the clock
- Charles County, I-70 bridge rehabilitation at the Route 370 interchange. Rehabilitate six bridges at the I-70/Route 370 Interchange. Construction begins summer 2021 and ends 2022.
- Louis County, I-270 North – various bridge and roadway improvements between I-70 and the Chain of Rocks bridge. Drivers can expect bridges over the interstate to be closed, as well as various lanes and ramps through the year.
- Louis County, I-270 bridge repair over I-44. This project makes repairs to a bridge over westbound I-44 that was damaged by an oversized load. This project will require a full closure of westbound I-44 for a couple of weekends, most likely in the late spring
- Charles County, Route 67.Elevation of the southbound Route 67 lanes for one mile south of the Clark Bridge.
- Louis County, Route 100 (Manchester Road) between Big Bend and Lindbergh. Work updates signals and drainage along the corridor, updates sidewalks to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Starts in late 2021.
- Louis County, Route 340 road widening between Spoede Road and Old Olive for left turn lanes. Drivers can expect lane closures during off-peak hours.
- Louis County, Route 364 - Bridge rehabilitation on the overpasses from Seven Pines to Bennington. Drivers can expect bridge and lane closures, as well as detours along the route.
- Louis County, Route 370 - Pavement and guardrail repairs from I-270 to 5th Street. Drivers can expect lane closures.
- Jefferson County, Route A from Collins Road to Old Route 21. Work includes resurfacing, guardrail upgrades and intersection improvements at Harrison Lake, Burning Tree, Pebble Creek and Morgan Road. Work begins in the summer of 2021 and ends in winter of 2021.
- Franklin County, Route D(S. Service Road) from Route WW to W Springfield Road- Resurfacing, guardrail and ADA upgrades. Construction begins fall 2021 and ends summer 2022.
- Jefferson County, Route H resurfacing from Route 21 to the Washington County line. Includes guardrail upgrades, culvert replacements and adds two foot shoulders. Begins in summer 2021 and ends in winter 2022.
- Franklin County, Route AH over Interstate 44- Repair damaged bridge over I-44. Work is set to begin in spring 2021. The completion date is winter 2021
- Franklin County, Resurfacing Route AJ from Route YY to Route 50.
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