Route N and Route Z Corridor Upgrades in St. Charles

Districts Impacted

Counties Impacted

St. Charles

Route Impacted

Work Type

Corridor Upgrades

Planning Phase

The Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) St. Louis District, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), conducted a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Study processed as an Environmental Assessment (EA) for an approximately eight-mile stretch of Route N in St. Charles County, Missouri. The study was completed in partnership with St. Charles County and the East-West Gateway Council of Governments.

The limits of the Route N Study (Study) extend from west of South Point Prairie Road east to the I-64/Route 364 interchange. The Study area is shown in the figure. The goal of this study is to assess the needs and issues of this portion of Route N, as well as the impacts and overall effectiveness of potential alternatives to address those needs.

The Study started in August 2018 and was completed in July 2022. The St. Louis region’s long-range transportation plan, Connected2045, identified Route N as a priority in the region for a study to explore the future of the corridor.

Project Milestones

Complete

Study Begins

Summer 2018

Complete

Public Meeting #1

Late 2018

Complete

Public Meeting #2

Early 2019

Complete

Draft Environmental Assessment

Late 2019

Complete

Transition to PEL Document

Late 2021

Complete

Conclude PEL Study

July 2022

Route N Study PEL Concludes, MoDOT and St. Charles County Coordinate Next Steps

The Route N Study concluded in July 2022 with FHWA issuing a letter of acceptance for the study PEL documentation.

MoDOT and St. Charles County are working together on next steps for initiating the preliminary engineering design on Rte. N from Rte. Z on the west to Rte. 364 / I-64 interchange on the east. This effort is anticipated to begin in late 2023 and is expected to take approximately 12-18 months.

Project News

More Related News

PEL Documents

Route N Study PEL Video – May 2022

Engineers with the Missouri Department of Transportation and St. Charles County explain the Route N Study for St. Charles County as a PEL study, which sets up the corridor for future development phases on a segment-by-segment basis as funding and resources becomes available.

Prior Updates

Route N Study Public Meeting – April 2022

On Tuesday, April 12, 2022, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., the Route N study team hosted a public meeting at the National Equestrian Center, 6880 Lake St Louis Blvd, Lake St Louis, MO 63367. Over 200 attendees interacted with the Route N team and viewed project materials during the meeting.

Meeting materials are available on the Public Involvement page. Refer to the Route N study Frequently Asked Questions for additional information on the Route N Study.

ROUTE N PUBLIC MEETING APRIL 12, 2022 DISPLAYS

April 12, 2022 Public Meeting Display

Route N NEPA Study – February 2022 Update

The Route N NEPA Study was on pause for much of 2020 and 2021 while the study team coordinated with Federal Highway Administration, St. Charles County, and East-West Gateway and worked through regional planning requirements. It was determined that the best path forward to document study information and coordination would be to transition to a planning and environmental linkages (PEL) study, setting the corridor up for future development phases on a segment-by-segment basis as resources and funding permit.

Over the next few months, the study team will complete PEL study documentation and engage the public and agencies to further communicate the transition of the study and next steps for the Route N corridor.

Route N NEPA Study – April 2020 Update

The Route N NEPA Study continues to be in the review phase. MoDOT and the study team are coordinating with the Federal Highway Administration, St. Charles County, and East-West Gateway to amend the region’s long-range transportation plan with projects from the Route N Environmental Assessment (EA) document. Following amendment of the long-range transportation plan and resolution of Federal Highway Administration comments on the EA, the EA may officially be approved and circulated for comment. A Public Hearing will be conducted following the EA approval.

When the study moves closer to hosting the Public Hearing, circumstances around the novel coronavirus pandemic will be evaluated. Further updates will be posted to the study website. Stakeholders on the study’s email list will receive email notification when the EA is available for comment and a public hearing has been scheduled.

Tentative Preferred Alternative Identified

MoDOT identifies the Tentative Preferred Alternative for the Route N NEPA Study as the Buckner Road Alternative. Please click here for more information. Click here to see the Tentative Preferred Alternative.

MoDOT is currently completing the Environmental Assessment (EA) document for the Route N study. The EA will include details on how decisions were made for the entire study including the Conceptual Alternatives, the Reasonable Alternatives, screening of alternatives, impacts of the alternatives, public involvement, and identifying the Tentative Preferred Alternative. The EA is expected to be circulated for comment in late 2019. A Public Hearing on the EA will be conducted after the EA is circulated for comment.

Please note that the Tentative Preferred Alternative is subject to change and will not be officially approved until MoDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approve the study's EA and issue a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The FONSI can be approved only after the region’s long-range transportation plan, Connected2045, is amended to include projects from the Route N EA. We anticipate the FONSI being approved in early 2020. In order for that to happen, East-West Gateway's Board of Directors, comprised of the bi-state St. Louis region's leaders and decision makers, must agree that this project is a regionally significant priority and should be included in the fiscally constrained long-range plan. A formal vote would be required and an amendment to the long range plan would be needed. Because the plan is fiscally constrained, other projects that are currently included in Connected2045 may have to be shifted out. After the FONSI is approved, the project can move forward with design and eventual construction. Please note that funding for design and construction has not been identified.

MoDOT and the study team appreciates the participation of all of the stakeholders that have been involved in this very important study. Your participation and input at meetings and through surveys has been invaluable. The study team listened and took your input into consideration. The recent MetroQuest survey received over 3,000 responses, which far exceeded the approximately 200 responses from public information meetings one and two. Where feasible, the input re-adjusted the footprints of the Reasonable Alternatives to minimize impacts. These MetroQuest responses, and other input, were essential to helping MoDOT determine the Tentative Preferred Alternative.

ROUTE N TENTATIVE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE MAP

Route N Tentative Preferred Alternative Map

Route N MetroQuest Survey Completed

THANK YOU to the more than 3,000 residents who completed the online MetroQuest survey! The survey is now closed and the team is reviewing the data to help inform the study moving forward.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) launched a MetroQuest Public Survey for the Route N NEPA Study on Monday, May 20th, which ran through Monday, June 10th. The survey was promoted on roadside message boards, on MoDOT's social media pages, in press releases, through email blasts, and on the study website. The survey provided a Study Introduction, an interactive exercise for stakeholders to understand and prioritize project trade-offs, an opportunity for the public to rank project priorities, and a display of how each of the three Reasonable Alternatives addressed the priorities they identified as being most important. The survey also allowed stakeholders to rate each Reasonable Alternative. MoDOT will take the MetroQuest Survey results into consideration as they identify the project’s Preferred Alternative.

Route N and Route Z

St. Charles County is currently working on an intersection realignment for Route N and Z. CLICK HERE to learn more about where they are in this process.

ROUTE N STUDY DOCUMENTS

Tentative Preferred Alternative Information

Study Newsletter #1

Study Newsletter #2

Route N Fact Sheet Spring 2022

Route N Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Previous Public Involvement

Elected Officials Briefing and Public Open House #3

The third elected officials briefing and public open house were held on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at the National Equestrian Center lobby in Lake St. Louis. The meetings were attended by elected officials, residents, and business owners from around the region.

The information that was on display at these meetings can be viewed by clicking the links below.

Open House #3 Displays

Open House #3 Fact Sheet

Elected Officials Briefing and Public Open House #2

The second elected officials briefing and public open house were held on Thursday, February 21, 2019 at the Liberty High School lobby. The meetings were attended by more than 130 elected officials, residents, and business owners from around the region.

The information that was on display at these meetings can be viewed by clicking the links below.

Public Open House #2 Display Boards

Elected Officials Briefing and Public Open House #1

The first elected officials briefing and public open house were held on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at Liberty High School lobby. The meetings were attended by more than 75 elected officials, residents, and business owners from around the region.

The information that was on display at these meetings can be viewed by clicking the links below.

Community Advisory Group

As part of the environmental process, a Community Advisory Group (CAG) has been established. The CAG is comprised of a diverse range of stakeholders who will assist the study team throughout the process. The study team will look to CAG members to give input on behalf of the stakeholder groups that they represent, to review information and study findings, and to help get information to the general public. The role of the CAG is to advise MoDOT. MoDOT and FHWA will ultimately make the final decision on which alternative best addresses the needs and issues of Route N.

The first Community Advisory Group meeting was held on Thursday, November 8, 2018 at Wentzville City Hall. The meeting was attended by 14 regional school district leaders, emergency responders, home owner association representatives, business owners, and church leaders.