Missouri transportation officials expect to have all of its roads and highways ready this weekend for the crush of traffic expected when Highway 40 (Interstate 64) closes Wednesday.

Traffic signals have been retimed along four key state routes — Page Avenue, Olive Boulevard, Manchester Road and Lindbergh Boulevard, Ed Hassinger, district engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation, said at a press conference Friday. Interstate 70 has been restriped for an additional lane between Interstates 270 and 170, and Interstate 44 has been restriped for another lane between I-270 and downtown.

All that's left is improving the visibility of some stripes on I-44, and getting new signals functioning at Olive Boulevard at I-170. Both should be finished before Monday.

"We've done everything possible on the region's network to make it ready to take the extra traffic on Jan. 2," Hassinger said. "So now the challenge is the region's motorists are going to have to do what they need to do to make this successful."

The buildup for the first yearlong Highway 40 shutdown started 13 months ago, when the department hired Gateway Constructors to design and rebuild about 10 miles of Highway 40.

As of Friday, Gateway crews have finished about 95 percent of what they need to do before closing the highway between Ballas Road and I-170. The rest involves changing signs and repainting stripes that can only happen in the hours before the highway closes, Gateway spokesman Dan Galvin said.

Crews will close Highway 40 early on Wednesday but may start closing some entrance ramps before midnight on Tuesday. Workers must finish striping work so it's obvious where drivers need to go at either end of the closing, Galvin said.

With the yearlong shutdown just days away, Hassinger said it's now up to drivers. He advised motorists to be sure of their routes before the barricades go up.

"We want people to plan beforehand," Hassinger said. "What we don't want people to do is wing it."

METRO STEPS UP

Representatives of the Metro public transportation agency will be at the center court of Chesterfield Mall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today to provide information on using buses and MetroLink trains when part of Highway 40 closes. Visitors at the Metro's information table will receive a $3 Metro System Guide at no cost while supplies last.

ecrouch@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8119