How was your commute without four miles of Highway 40?
UPDATE: How many of you posted below something to this effect: “Yes, Highway 40 closed on Jan. 2, but the real test is how things go on Jan. 7″? Well, that day is here. Return and let us know how the “real test” went, since most schools are back in session and most people are not still on vacation.
Note: Comments from today, Jan. 7, start on this page. Read below for comments prior to that.
The original posting from Jan. 2:
Not sure if you heard about this…but Highway 40 shut down overnight between Ballas and I-170. We’ve featured the project in a special report, we’ve upgraded and promoted our online traffic reports, we’ve even done a game to try and have some fun with the project.
So, today was the first day we’ve had to cope with the change. And whether or not you usually drive on Highway 40, everyone’s expecting fall-out from the shutdown to affect drivers in other parts of the region.
So the question today: Did it affect you? How’d you deal with it? What route did you take? Was traffic heavier than usual on your usual commute?
Got photos from the Highway 40 reconstruction or the surrounding area? Click here and post them to our readers’ album.
Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
The real test will be next Monday when everyone is back at work and school. My commute from South St. Louis County to North St. Louis County via I-55 to I-70 went smoothly. It did seem like there was more traffic than usual starting in the depressed section of I-70 through where I get off at Adelaide.
I did not have any problems this morning and I left at my usual time driving from 94 and Harvester to east on the Page extension to the Central West End. Too much news coverage about nothing, wait until next week when people go back to work and school from holiday vacations.
Do those who had problems this morning on WB 40 west of Kingshighway know the cause of the delay? I wonder if there accidents, lane closures for overpass construction, or if the backup was caused by everyone having to find a way off 40 before 170. Prior to the shutdown, the stretch of WB 40 between Kingshighway and the Skinker exit was rarely slow before 7:40 am. Forest Park Parkway between Grand and Skinker seems like a good alternative for those who are U. City/Clayton bound. I wonder what that stretch will be like.
The drive home from Ladue to my South City bungalow was fairly uneventful. I left about 3:45 driving east on Clayton to McCausland. The biggest problem was at Brentwood. The light there was only letting about 8-9 cars at a time through. I waited at least 4 cycles, and behind me the traffic was backed up at least to the Ethical Society building.
Also, if they’ve banned left turns into Walgreens at Clayton and Big Bend, why on earth are they still allowing left turns onto Francis Place from eastbound Clayton? Every day I go by there someone backs the traffic up into the Brentwood intersection by trying that move.
The only other problem was a short light at Hanley. There wasn’t much traffic traveling on Hanley, but Clayton (east and west) was backed up at the light.
As always, JMHO.
Has anything gotten more coverage than the HWY closure, come on. The media has everyone acting like it is going to be the last day on earth for everyone! Besides, the real test with be Monday when everyone is back to their normal routines (work and school).
well I do have one negative thing to say so get ready to yell at me for complaining. Why does it take a shutdown of a major highway in order to get stoplights timed correctly in this city? I lived in LA for a while and all the lights were timed, you only got caught by one, and if you drove the speed limit (yes, finally a reward and incentive for obeying the law) you wouldn’t get caught by another one until you turned off that road.
So I guess this is for MODOT, the county and municipalities who control stoplights…PLEASE time all traffic signals in order to move traffic, save gas and increase obeying the speed limit. that is all.
This morning I left earlier than normal (6:30) and headed west on 40 in the city. It was no fun at all. I am surprised that all of these people are saying it was fine!
It is just CRAZY out there!!!!!!!!! Once again the local media blows another one WAY out of proportion. Thank you…..sigh.
I keep having a laugh at all the stuff being said about the shutdown. Today is the FIRST DAY OF THE SHUTDOWN, hardly a time to reflect on its effect on the daily commute. Oh, yeah, it’s still holiday season, too!
I work in Clayton. Usually, Clayton is jam-packed. Not today. It’s empty. Empty empty empty. If I had to use Clayton as a gauge for how busy the rest of the city was, I’d say it must have been a slow day around town.
So how can the news and everyone else say “Oh, see, no problem with the shutdown!”, when it’s actually much to early to tell …
I agree with larry I have lived in Houston LA and San Diego, and if you drove the speed limit you would never catch a light unless you have driven on the same street intime for all the lights to cycle. I took 40 in to Webster Groves exited at Hanley and traffic was backed up but once the light changed I drove from Hanley and 40 down Hanley left at Manchesterand stopped at the Brentwood light without stopping at any lights between, that was nice, they should leave it like that. traffic flowed better