Missouri transportation officials said motorists should have an easier time recognizing temporary lane stripes on westbound Interstate 44 in the weeks ahead.

Unlike the striping used on eastbound I-44 in recent months, the westbound stripes will be wider, shorter and more frequent, said MoDOT District Engineer Ed Hassinger.

The state also will place temporary arrows on the pavement near entrance ramps to show drivers where the new lanes are "so there's no confusion," Hassinger said.

"We know that when we did that eastbound there were some problems ," Hassinger said today. "Our customers were not happy with what we did and we're changing the way we are doing it for this weekend."

Ultimately, Hassinger said, the state will be experimenting with new plastic reflective markers to be embedded in the pavement to make them more visible at night and when it rains.

New lanes were added to I-44 while the state rebuilt Highway 40 (Interstate 64). Now MoDOT is putting the highway back to its original four-lane configuration. The project includes repaving the traffic lanes. Until the lanes are repaved, MoDOT's contractor is painting temporary stripes.

Beginning tonight, MoDOT will close three lanes of westbound I-44 between Interstate 55 and Interstate 270. Two lanes will remain open. The work is expected to be done by Monday morning.

MoDOT will also temporarily shut down one to two lanes on eastbound Highway 40 between 22nd Street and Eighth Street. The lane closures will allow crews to perform maintenance and paint the double-deck bridges.

The eastbound 11th Street ramp will be closed this weekend. Other Highway 40 entrance ramps to close this weekend include those at Forest Park Avenue, Ewing Avenue, and Pine Street.

Hassinger warned drivers to plan their trips with the lane closures in mind. That includes people going to and from this weekend's St. Louis Cardinals games at Busch Stadium.