BRENTWOOD — People trying to stop the state's plan to shut down parts of Highway 40 while workers reconstruct it have only one avenue: complain.

That was the message Saturday from Missouri Rep. Scott Muschany, R-Frontenac, who is trying to start a grass-roots campaign to force the state to rethink its plans.

"The only effective tool we have is public pressure. That's it," Muschany said. "It's not too late. A year from now, when they close Highway 40, it'll be too late."

About 30 people came to Brentwood High School for Muschany's town hall meeting that had a banner, "Stop MoDOT From Closing 40," as a backdrop.

Gateway Constructors is rebuilding about 10 miles of the interstate from about Spoede Road to about Kingshighway. The state on Monday will hold a groundbreaking ceremony in Richmond Heights for the project.

The state's shutdown approach "will completely choke our region," said Muschany, who wants to see at least two express reversible lanes open at all times.

Lesley Solinger Hoffarth, the Highway 40 project director, said Gateway's two-year plan is the best way to complete the reconstruction, and doing it quickly saves the state money in inflation costs. She said most people she's heard from support the plan.

"It's going to be a rough two years," she said.

Some who attended the meeting were fired up. Dr. Yoram Hahn of Frontenac, whose speciality is obstetrics and gynecology, said he wonders how he'll get to three hospitals along Highway 40 where he delivers babies.

Cheryl Fleming, a substitute teacher from Florissant, comes to the Hanley Road-Highway 40 area most days for work at her church. She said the interstate shutdown is the state's "ploy to use MetroLink."

Fleming said she won't ride MetroLink partly because it consumes too much time. "I'm going to drive through other people's neighborhoods and depreciate their roads," she said.

People should pressure the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, which has the authority to amend the contract with Gateway, Muschany said. Legislators have no power over the decision, he said.

"All we can do is complain and scream and yell and ask you to complain and scream and yell," Muschany said.

kbell@post-dispatch.com | 314-340-8115