The procurement process will begin shortly and MoDOT will present the final design by February 2022 and construction is anticipated to begin spring of 2022.
“We heard the public’s concerns about a potential one-way conversion of the outer roads to improve the safety and congestion issues. We went back to the drawing board to see if we could improve the interchanges while keeping a two-way outer road system,” said Stacey Smith, MoDOT Project Director.
MoDOT has evaluated how improvements to the interchanges will work with both one-way and two-way options, and both designs have benefits.
“Based on this, we have decided that leaving all options on the table will give the public the best possible project,” Smith said. “Our team listened to the public, and we’ve dramatically changed the priorities of this project. Connectivity is now the No. 1 goal.”
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Better connectivity will make access to local businesses and homes easier. The current roadway design and inefficient traffic flow have restricted connectivity for over a decade. In addition, this project is a regional priority due to the high crash rate, including 3,000 crashes in the past five years.
The congestion at the interchanges often causes traffic to back down the off-ramps to I-70 during rush hours. To improve connectivity, safety, and efficiency, MoDOT is looking at both the entire corridor and local system and is open to all solutions for the interstate, outer roads, interchanges, and side street access.
The project is a joint project with St. Charles County, who has contributed $10 million of the $62-million cost of the reconstruction.
