ST. PETERS --  Missouri opened a 1-mile stretch of Highway 364 this morning -- the latest section of the Page Avenue extension in St. Charles County.

The short segment of highway will open in the eastbound direction this morning; the westbound stretch will open on Wednesday after the lanes have been striped.

The project cost $19.7 million and is considered part of the second phase of construction. The remaining work in this stage will take Highway 364 another four miles to Mid-River Malls Drive.

That stretch is expected to open in the fall of 2012 and will cost an additional $76 million.