Chris: Are there going to be more signs for the Hampton roundabout? I still, a month on, see people in the roundabout, coming to a complete stop, instead of taking their right-of-way. They think they're being polite letting someone on the feeders in, but it really messes up traffic. Signs like "Vehicles in roundabout always have right-of-way" or some such...?
(outside this problem, the roundabout is a blast!) |
Dan Galvin and Linda Wilson: We don't sign roundabouts with any more signs than are there. We have several other roundabouts in St. Louis and across the state. It is correct that when you are in the roundabout you have the right of way. The entering roads all have a yield sign indicating they should yield to the drivers in the roundabout. Typically it just takes a little learning curve for people to figure this out.
Linda Wilson |
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| Joshua: Looking ahead to next year, my understanding is that I-70 and I-44 will be resurfaced after construction on I-64 is complete. Will that be done with rolling lane closures at night? Are you able to wager how long it would take? |
Dan Galvin and Linda Wilson: yes. I-70 and I-44 will be resurfaced and restriped back to its old lane markings in 2010. The work will be done at night. I do not know how long it will take to do the work. I would guess we would give the contractor a couple of months allowing for weather delays. I-70 is only about 5 miles between I-270 and I-170, but I-44 is about 12 miles from I-270 to I-55. Obviously I-44 will take many more nights to do than I-70.
Linda Wilson |
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| BOB MURRAY: It looks as if much of the section of I-64 from Kingshighway to Hampton has been paved. Is it possible to open parts of the highway , maybe to Hampton or Skinker before the end of the year? |
Dan Galvin and Linda Wilson: No, turning Hampton or the Clayton/Skinker intersection into the end of a freeway would not be a good idea. Right now all our detour routes are working well and people are used to the freeway ending at Kingshighway. Opening up the next 2.5 miles of pavement west of Kingshighway wouldn't really gain us much from a transportation standpoint and would likely turn Hampton or Skinker into a real mess. We'll open up the second half like we did the first half, all at once.
Dan |
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Kurits Jr: Hi folks,
I noticed that sound walls are still being installed on the western part of the project. In one year's time, will you still have work to do on the eastern side of the project?
Thanks! |
Dan Galvin and Linda Wilson: Contractually, the contractor's completion deadline is July 31, 2010. So yes it is possible that there will be work off the lanes of the highway until that time. However, the contractor is pushing to have that not be the case. Many of the soundwalls on the east half are being installed now. This project is a design-build project. Design was still being done for the soundwalls on the west half even though construction of the highway was underway. The soundwall panel manufacturer has been producing nothing but soundwall panels for us for over a year. The walls on the west half did not start as early in the construction year last year as are the soundwalls on the east half, simply because they are later in the process. We are all hopeful that the final details of the east half will be complete before July 31, 2010, but it is possible.
Linda Wilson |
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| Greg: Will the contractors be working this holiday weekend? The sooner the Hanley bridge gets completed, the better for everyone. |
Dan Galvin and Linda Wilson: We won't be working over the weekend but we will begin asphalt paving at Hanley next week. You'll soon start seeing some obvious progress in that area and that bridge will be open before you know it.
Dan |
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| chris: Have you started paving the next section of mainline between Big Bend and Clayton yet? Also, when will the next half of the Oakland bridge and the entrance ramp from Skinker be poured? |
Dan Galvin and Linda Wilson: We haven't completed the first phase of the mainline paving between Kingshighway and Skinker just yet, but we're getting close. The mainline lanes are in and now we're finishing the shoulders and oddly shaped pieces that are hard to do with large machinery. The second half of the Oakland bridge is scheduled to be poured tomorrow morning, but paving the eastbound entrance ramp bridge is still a few weeks away. Since that won't be used until the mainline is open it's a lower priority for paving crews.
Dan |
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Kurits Jr: Hi Dan & Linda,
I recall reading that the reconstruction would include some leveling & straightening of the new Interstate. The maps show where the route has slightly changed, but what about leveling the road? I visited Forest Park and looked at the construction. I am surprised that the roadbed has so many ups & downs as it has. Were you able to achieve the leveling that you initially sought?
Thanks for all of your hard work. |
Dan Galvin and Linda Wilson: Well, to clarify the road is by no means flat, but that was not our intention. The engineers concern was to smooth off the higher hills that reduced sight distance. We are doing that. The biggest change is we are lowering I-64 20 feet on the hill that used to be between Hanley and I-170. The new road will mostly follow the old road's path with some small changes in elevation and location mostly due to the tight property we had to work within and the need to be able to tie into existing roads. When you make drastic changes then you have to chase those grades down the existing roads that intersect I-64. It is a tough balance. Overall, the engineers are pleased with the sight distance changes we are making, but it definitely will not look flat to the driver.
Linda Wilson |
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| chris: Will access to 170 from Hanley via the north outer collector road be available prior to re-opening the east section of the highway? |
Dan Galvin and Linda Wilson: No, right now we're in a temporary condition with all our traffic movements and adding another input ike that would cause more problems than it would solve. That entrance ramp from Hanley to northbound I-170 will enter right about where we currently have two lanes coming from Eager merging into one lane to go north. When we're finished with everything we'll have one lane northbound for traffic from Eager, Hanley traffic will merge with that, and the two northbound flyover ramp lanes coming from the east and west will be in their own lanes. That's the only way to get all those movements to fit into the three lanes of I-170 north. I hope that's not too confusing.
Dan |
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| Ed: Hi. Once Hanley opens and you have to build the jug handle interchange for Hanley and Eager, how will this affect Eager at Hanley? will that remain open and what's the timing for the new Hanley/Eager connection? |
Dan Galvin and Linda Wilson: Once the Hanley bridge reopens you won't have a Hanley and Eager connection for as long as three months while we tie the two streets together through the jug handle. In order to get to Eager Road you will have to take Meridian, which is the street that goes behind Best Buy that you currently have to take to get to Dale. You can see the area on our website here:
http://www.thenewi64.org/assets/i64/documents/Hanley%20Dale%20to%20Eager%20map.pdf
We'll have a more specific map posted soon showing the Eager Road impacts after Hanley is open.
Dan |
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| buran: McKnight. Still unpaved. Still bumpy. Still Jerseyed. Still the same mess it was last week when this was supposed to have finally been fixed. What a joke. |
Dan Galvin and Linda Wilson: McKnight. Final asphalt paving is scheduled for tomorrow night. The temporary barrier is still in place to protect the permanent concrete barrier while it cures. McKnight should be finished after that. No joke.
Dan |
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Greg Speno: Hi,
Would you please ask if there is any plan to replace the flashing red stop on northbound McKnight Road at York Drive with a sensor stoplight? Every morning there is a moderate to long line going north on McKnight that must stop and very little traffic coming from York to justify it. A lot of time and gas would be saved if a smart stop light, synchronized with the lights at I-64, was installed.
Thanks,
Greg |
Dan Galvin and Linda Wilson: The red flasher is a caution to let you know there is a stop sign there. This is a three-way stop intersection. The traffic on southbound McKnight does not have to stop. We have had discussions with the city of Brentwood, who controls the stop signs, and St. Louis County. This is not a state road. The decision by Brentwood is to leave the three-way stop as they feel it is necessary to allow breaks for the traffic in the neighborhoods the chance to get out. St. Louis County says removal would increase flow on McKnight, but the city and neighborhoods are concerned that they wouldn't be able to turn out. There are no plans to make this a four-way intersection with signals. There are concerns if you stopped the southbound McKnight traffic at a signal it could back up into the intersection with the highway ramps and potentially down the ramp to the highway. We are hopeful that after the I-64 project is complete and the other roads like Brentwood are not as congested, the traffic on McKnight will also be less congested and you will have less delay in the morning northbound rush.
Linda Wilson |
