Lindbergh ramps close for I-64 sound wall work
If you’re confused tomorrow why the ramp at Lindbergh and Highway 40 (Interstate 64) is closed, it’s because crews are finishing up sound wall installation.
The ramp from Lindbergh to eastbound Highway 40 will close from 5:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. On Monday, this ramp will close from 5:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., as will the exit ramp from westbound Highway 40 to Lindbergh. Expect other closures in coming weeks as the final sound wall panels go in.
The Missouri Department of Transportation gave Gateway Constructors permission to close lanes after reopening the rebuild section of highway. The company manufacturing the sound wall panels couldn’t produce them quickly enough for all of them to go up before the reopening of completed the highway, MoDOT and Gateway officials have said.
How is that the Gateway Constructors was awarded an early completion bonus of $2 million for the turnover of the western half of the highway 64 re-construction when the entire scope of the work (sound walls for example)was not completed by December 15, 2008? Furthermore, the process of installing sound walls is not weather sensitive, so this does not qualify as a cold weather excuse.
The sound walls are a complete waste of money and should have never been part of the scope in the first place. If you bought property next to the hightway, too bad. Now people two blocks away are dealing with higher noise levels then those next to the highway. These sound wall an asthetic nightmare, you feel surrounded in a field of concrete, TEAR THEM DOWN
I’m with hoya. Someone needs to sick Elliot Davis on them.
If the bonus was given b/c the highwat opened early, how is it open if parts of are closed? Sounds like MODot screwed up again. Surprise, surprise…
And, I hope the sound walls are not going up in the City. Safe some money…
Gateway Constructors is the one calling the shots on this project. They are the ones inspecting their own work. MoDOT doesn’t what is going on. This new road won’t last 5 years and you’ll being repaving it.
Gosh…. the highway opened early and we’re unhappy because one supplier could not manufacture the prefab walls in time so that Gateway could install them before 12/31/08? I guess some people will always look for something to be unhappy about.
What a surprise! Negative comments from those responding to this story. It amazes me that you all can be so critical…so often! Let’s try to see the bright side here - Modot will have completely replaced an entire stretch of hwy within the center of a metropolitan area in a 2-3yr period. A few set backs here and there should be expected…big picture here folks! Congrats Modot on a job well done (so far)!
………….soundwalls, just another way the “concrete cartel” gets into the taxpayers pocket.
I agree, they should not receive the early completion bonus if the work on that portion was not complete.
If they are closing ramps and disrupting traffic their work was not complete.
Also, the pavement in the new portion is not as smooth as you would expect from a new highway.
Hoya’s right, Bring on Elliot Davis.