MoDOT Releases Renderings, Plans Public Meeting for New I-64 Bridge

With construction of a new eastbound portion of the Interstate 64 Daniel Boone Missouri River Bridge slated to begin in late December, Chesterfield motorists will be able to view the designs and construction schedule for the project at a public meeting Nov. 13. 

The meeting is from 4-7 p.m. at the State Highway Patrol Headquarters, 891 Technology Drive in Weldon Spring.  MoDOT spokesperson Linda Wilson Horn said citizens will be able to view renderings of the finished design since descriptions of the plans can be "hard to visualize."

"You have two bridges out there now, but we are going to build a new one and Eventually tear down the westbound bridge, which was originally built in 1935," she said. "They won't close the current westbound bridge until the new one is open to put traffic on it."

A MoDOT press release explained the plans in more detail:

The $125 million project will build a new I-64 bridge over the Missouri River to replace the deteriorated bridge built in 1935.  The project will include building a new eastbound bridge, removal of the 1935 existing westbound bridge, rehabilitating the 1989 existing eastbound bridge, raising the Spirit Blvd bridge and building a new Chesterfield Airport Road interchange including connecting the North Outer Road to the westbound I-64 on ramp.  The project will build a continuous westbound fourth lane from the Chesterfield Airport Road entrance ramp to the Route 94 exit ramp.  It will also add a shared use path on the new eastbound bridge connecting the KATY trail to the Monarch Levee Trail.

The new bridge will be built upstream of the existing 1935 westbound bridge and 1989 eastbound bridge.  Once complete, the new bridge will carry eastbound traffic.  The 1989 bridge will switch to carry westbound traffic, and the 1935 bridge will be demolished.  

Construction on the new bridge will begin in late December or early 2013.  The majority of construction will be done with minimal impacts to traffic.  Lanes on I-64 will remain open but lanes and shoulders will be narrowed.  Lanes will be closed on only a few weekends.

The detailed schedule will be available at the public open house meeting and all the materials will be available online atwww.modot.org/boonebridge.