// a href = ./ //

All lanes on I-70 over the Blanchette Bridge in St. Charles are expected to be open to motorists three months earlier than projected.

This (Friday) morning, Missouri Department of Transportation District Engineer Ed Hassinger and City of St. Charles Mayor Sally Faith announced the I-70 Blanchette Missouri River Bridge rehabilitation project is ahead of schedule. The westbound I-70 bridge was closed November 2, 2012, for a maximum one year closure. 

“We are pleased to announce today that our reconstruction work is progressing ahead of the one year schedule,” said MoDOT St. Louis District Engineer Ed Hassinger. “The contractor, Walsh Construction, is pushing to open the bridge to traffic before the city’s annual Festival of the Little Hills in mid-August. That goal would be nearly three months ahead of the original schedule.” 

This week, Walsh Construction installed the last major piece of structural steel for the bridge. Since March, crews have installed approximately 2,200 pieces of steel for a total weight of 6.5 million pounds of steel in the truss and 1.5 million pounds of steel girders. Crews have begun pouring the concrete bridge deck. Despite extreme low river levels in the winter and flood levels in the spring, the contractor and team of local trades have continued on an aggressive schedule. 

“Motorists have done a great job adjusting to the reduced lanes on I-70 at the Blanchette Bridge, and we appreciate their patience and cooperation,” said Hassinger. “We need people to continue using the alternate bridge crossings and avoiding I-70 during rush hours for a few more months.” 

“We also want to thank the City of St. Charles for their team approach to this. Their cooperation and assistance with the local businesses has made this a smooth process for everyone,” said Hassinger. 

 

 

   St. Louis police say a bizarre case of road rage left a 43 year old man dead.  

   It began around noon yesterday, when a box truck apparently cut off a Lincoln Navigator on westbound Inerstate 70.  

   Police say the SUV followed the truck to the Union Blvd. exit, ramming the box truck several times.  At the light at Margaretta and Union, the driver of the SUV got out of his vehicle and began hitting the truck with a hammer, striking the driver before jumping onto the truck's hood.  When the truck turned onto Margaretta, the attacking man fell off and was injured.  

   The man was taken to a hospital, where he later died.  Police have not yet released his identity.

All of the street, bridge and interstate improvements planned for downtown St. Louis are on track to be finished on time.  That was the message from Missouri and Illinois transportation engineers when they briefed the East-West Gateway Council of Governments Wednesday.  

   High water on the Mississippi River has caused some delays for crews building the new River Bridge, but project officials say the work continues and they still expect to finish by early next year.  

   Some of the other projects planned for downtown St. Louis over the next two years include the park that will cap the I-70 depressed lanes, new ramps connecting I-70 and I-55 to the Poplar Street Bridge and a year-long resurfacing project on the MLK bridge.

All of the street, bridge and interstate improvements planned for downtown St. Louis are on track to be finished on time.  That was the message from Missouri and Illinois transportation engineers when they briefed the East-West Gateway Council of Governments Wednesday.  

   High water on the Mississippi River has caused some delays for crews building the new River Bridge, but project officials say the work continues and they still expect to finish by early next year.  

   Some of the other projects planned for downtown St. Louis over the next two years include the park that will cap the I-70 depressed lanes, new ramps connecting I-70 and I-55 to the Poplar Street Bridge and a year-long resurfacing project on the MLK bridge.

The next phase of the planned improvements to the Arch grounds is set to get underway this summer.

Crews had already planned to begin construction of the "lid" over I-70.

Now, the rebuild of Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard, which runs along the riverfront at the base of the Arch steps, will also start this year. The road will be elevated and redesigned to include bike paths and pedestrian walkways.

Funding had already been in place for the $47 million park that will cap the highway. Newly found savings from that project will help fund the other.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that engineers have determined that the concrete walls of the "depressed section" of I-70 don’t need to be replaced, as originally thought. So the $11-million cost savings on that project will fund the Leonor K. Sullivan rebuild.

The next phase of the planned improvements to the Arch grounds is set to get underway this summer.

Crews had already planned to begin construction of the "lid" over I-70.

Now, the rebuild of Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard, which runs along the riverfront at the base of the Arch steps, will also start this year. The road will be elevated and redesigned to include bike paths and pedestrian walkways.

Funding had already been in place for the $47 million park that will cap the highway. Newly found savings from that project will help fund the other.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that engineers have determined that the concrete walls of the "depressed section" of I-70 don’t need to be replaced, as originally thought. So the $11-million cost savings on that project will fund the Leonor K. Sullivan rebuild.