Route 141 Is Work Zone; July 14 Opens for Pedestrians

Temporary signs and orange cones show you how to proceed through a jumble of roads and ramps, while drivers await the official opening July 14 of Route 141 just north of Highway 40/64 at Woods Mill Road.

State highway officials intend to open the roads for car traffic by noon July 14. First, there's an early-morning celebration Saturday on the new interchange, flyover, underpass—whatever description you prefer.

The ribbon-cutting events will allow pedestrians, runners and bicyclists on the roads exclusively from 7-11am. 

A  after what sounds like a Blue Collar Comedy Tour quip begins at 7:30am: Route 141 Run to Get it Done 10K. Pre-register on-line for the run at Bigshark.com

After that, it's vehicles-only territory. Missouri Department of Tranportation (MoDOT) is in charge of the $44 million project.

The 2-year project turned a typically traffic-jammed, two-lane wooded road through a gully that periodically flooded, into a modern-era system of overpass, underpass, one-way raised ramps and signage, taking traffic between Highway 40/64 and Olive Boulevard with turnoffs to Ladue Road, and everything in-between.

Earlier statements about the project indicated the roadwork did not address the flooding on Woods Mill Road near Ladue Road, since the new Route 141 extension is to the east of Woods Mill.

When the interchange/extension opens, a section of Woods Mill closes for construction between St. Luke's Hospital and the Parkway schools, in order to finish the connection to Ladue Road. It would reopen mid-August. 

Giant sound walls have been erected alongside the new 6-lane extension in the largely residential areas, which sit beside on Woods Mill Road.

Also, , in order to clarify the borders of the three towns when it comes to street snow plowing, sweeping, repair, police jurisdiction, and the like.

Federal "stimulus" funding paid in part for the project, MoDOT said.

July 14 schedule:

• 6 a.m.  Registration for the "Route 141 Run to Get it Done 10K" starts

• 7:30 a.m.  "Route 141 Run to Get it Done 10K" starts

• 9 a.m.  Open walk/run/bike on relocated Route 141 between the Parkway Central Complex and Olive Boulevard and portions of the Page-Olive Connector.

• 10 a.m.  Ribbon-cutting event under the Olive Boulevard bridge. Park at  and catch shuttle service to the ceremony.

• 11 a.m.  Open walk/run/bike ends.

• Shuttle service continues from the ribbon cutting site to the Parkway Central Complex until 11:30 a.m. and until all attendees return.

What do you think about the big changes along Woods Mill Road?