Live Chats

The Road Crew

David Wrone of the St. Louis County highway department, Linda Wilson of MoDOT and St. Louis Streets Director Todd Waelterman will field questions about local road, highway and traffic issues for an hour each Wednesday at 1 p.m.

David, Linda and Todd are now accepting questions for their 1 p.m. chat on April 4. Please note that it is now possible to enter questions above or to tweet questions AND photos using the hashtag #stlroadcrew. Pothole problem? Confusing traffic sign? Send a photo.

by Charles Williams... 3/28/2012 7:45:13 PM
There must be a problem with the sensor on Brentwood Blvd at White Avenue. I have noticed several times when I'm southbound on Brentwood in the evening that the light turns red, even though there are no cars at all at White Avenue.

by sam 4/4/2012 3:30:21 PM
I'll have our signals team check it out. Thanks for the heads up. David Wrone, St. Louis County

by dwrone 4/4/2012 3:30:23 PM
When will Green Park Road in South St. Louis County be completed?

by jogger74 4/4/2012 3:36:20 PM
This project belongs to the City of Green Park. (St. Louis County has no involvement in it.) Please contact Green Park's City Administrator's office at 314-894-7336. David Wrone, St. Louis County

by dwrone 4/4/2012 3:36:22 PM
You have promised the repaving of Big Bend Blvd. from Couch Avenue in Kirkwood to Valley Park since 2012. When is this going to happen?

by mmr 4/4/2012 3:56:40 PM
This project is scheduled to be bid later this year, with work actually beginning either at the tail end of '12 or early spring of '13. David Wrone, St. Louis County

by dwrone 4/4/2012 3:56:42 PM
What is the schedule for closing Kehr's Mill Rd & Wild Horse Creek Rd. at Long Road in Chesterfield?

by geno07 4/4/2012 4:00:33 PM
The closure is scheduled to begin June 15, and will last until July 14 (2012). David Wrone, St. Louis County

by dwrone 4/4/2012 4:00:39 PM
What is the status of Green Park Road it has been closed for a very long time with little activity.

by South County Resident 4/4/2012 4:02:15 PM
The City of Green Park is responsible for this project. St. Louis County has no involvement in it. Please call Green Park's City Administrator's office at 314-894-7336. David Wrone, St. Louis County

by dwrone 4/4/2012 4:02:19 PM
I have noticed that several of the signs alerting truckers not to drive in the passing lane along hwy 44 are missing in the City and county. I have also noticed more larger semi's driving in this lane during rush hour. Isn' t this against the law?

by vettech79 4/4/2012 4:13:58 PM
vettech79 - please let me know where on I-44 those signs are missing (which direction and near which exits). I will get with our sign folks to get those back up. Law enforcement (highway patrol and municipal PD) is responsible for enforcing the restricting against trucks over a certain weight using the left lane of interstates with at least three lanes. If you see a location where this seems to happen a lot, you might share that with them.

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 4:14:03 PM
What is the rule/law for the number of handicap spots that must be provided at shopping centers? It seems like so many spots are going unused.

by Bob Jones 4/4/2012 4:18:17 PM
It depends on how many parking spaces are available on the lot. Here's a link to some information I found on spaces from the Department of Justice: www.ada.gov - Andrew Gates, MoDOT Community Relations

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 4:18:21 PM
As spring approaches, I'm writing about the construction-style lighted sign that annually appears on WB I-64 west of I-270 to urge carpooling. It looks really tacky on an otherwise reasonably attractive stretch of highway. Furthermore, it's located on the direction away from the urban area (St. Louis), and it is unreadable on sunny mornings. Why can't the same message be displayed on the permanent message boards, along with buckle seat belts and don't drink and drive?

by marbkin 4/4/2012 4:24:34 PM
Those signs are required due to the air quality in the greater St. Louis region. We are required to keep them available at all times during the air quality monitoring period (usually May through September).The overhead message boards are primarily for travel times and for emergency messages about roadway conditions ahead. Those messages would overrule any safety (or air quality) messages that we might post. Since we have to have the air quality messages out at all times, we keep them on the roadside changeable message signs. - Andrew Gates, MoDOT Community Relations

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 4:24:38 PM
Are there any projects scheduled on 64/40 in downtown St. Louis or in the Metro East the weekend of 4/13/12?

by JB15 4/4/2012 4:33:02 PM
What! Work on I-64 during the opening Cards/Cubs weekend? MoDOT doesn't have any plans for construction work that weekend. I haven't heard of any plans from IDOT.

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 4:33:05 PM
When do you anticipate the 141/MH Expressway to be open completely from 364 to 40 ? When do you anticipate 364 work to be completed from Harvester to Mid Rivers ?

by Robert 4/4/2012 4:34:53 PM
The Route 141 and Page Olive Connector projects should be open to through traffic around July -- there may be some remaining work needed to tie in Woods Mill Road and Ladue after that. The 364 project to Mid Rivers Mall should be completed this fall. - Andrew Gates, MoDOT Community Relations

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 4:35:12 PM
Would it ever be possible to have a double white line on the south end of 170? ->The same kind of lane marker as on NB 270 at 70? Over the past year there have been more and more cars speeding down the right lane on SB 170 (to exit WB 40) then coming to a complete stop at the end of 170 and waiting for someone to let them back into the left lane (EB 40). I have seen plenty of near misses. These death defying drivers even take this route when there is no back up! I’m surprised there has not been a serious accident yet.

by Betty 4/4/2012 4:38:17 PM
The double white line from I-270 to I-70 was somewhat of a special case. The Maryland Heights police department got a safety grant to implement and incorporate that double white line as part of a Travel Safe zone. They enforce the double white line, and write all the tickets for it. The municipality around the south end of I-170 would have to pass an ordinance and the police department would have to enforce it for something similar to happen at I- 170. - Andrew Gates, MoDOT Community Relations

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 4:38:32 PM
Good morning. There seems to be a lot of confusion with drivers about the dual-lane entrance ramp from Southbound First Caitol Drive in St. Charles to Eastbound I-70. Drivers in the left lane often cause near miss accidents as they ignore their obligation to yield to the right lane. Is there anything that can be done to convey to drivers that the right lane has right of way. I suspect that the problems lies with drivers lack of understand relative to universal traffic symbols rather than driver malice.

by MuzzledRooster 4/4/2012 4:42:08 PM
There are several signs in place already to tell people how to merge and drive through the two lane ramp -- More signs aren't really going to help. However, I will pass this on to our traffic experts to see if they have any thoughts to improve it. - Andrew Gates MoDOT Community Relations

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 4:42:13 PM
I just came back from NJ/NY and I have to say THANK YOU to you and your crew for keeping our roads, highways and interstates in great shape! You're work is noticed and appreciated!

by LOVE_STL 4/4/2012 4:45:04 PM
You're welcome -- I know our workers, as well as the county and city departments work very hard to keep the roadways as smooth and maintained as possible. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Community Relations

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 4:45:08 PM
The "road work ahead" sign on NB 55(middle median) adjacent to the arch is still leaning to the right------- shoulder is so narrow that no room for sign unless in passing lane......please do something b/4 something happens !! thanks

by leer4747 4/4/2012 4:49:58 PM
I've shared this with the construction folks responsible for the project near the Arch. We'll get out to take a look at it and fix it. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Community Relations

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 4:50:00 PM
What in the world is all of the construction on Baxter road and when will it be complete?

by pugarmy 4/4/2012 4:51:15 PM
St. Louis County - or, rather a contractor hired by St. Louis County - is widening one mile of Baxter Road to three lanes, between Claymont Estates Drive and Heathercroft Drive. (Previously, this section of Baxter consisted only of two lanes - one in each direction.) Our contractor, Pace Construction, also is building 2,300 feet of new sidewalk on Baxter's west side, and shaving several feet off a sight-obscuring hill within the job's parameters. Work began in the spring of '11 and will conclude this December. The project is on schedule, and will cost $5.2 million. David Wrone, St. Louis County

by dwrone 4/4/2012 4:51:36 PM
I have been watching the 364 project and have noticed they keep digging the raodway wider and deeper on the western end of the project. Since they are getting creative with the dirt it obiviously isn't not needed else where, why so deep?

by dbaker@xenith.com 4/4/2012 4:55:22 PM
That's to accomodate the new Central School Road bridge -- the new Route 364 will go under Central School Road bridge (which will stay at the same level (or grade) as the exiting road). Since Route 364 drops so much in that location, they have to take a lot of earth out. -- Andrew Gates, MoDOT Community Relations

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 4:55:25 PM
any shot of getting Brentwood between Manchester/64 cleaned up? It's a nightmare for everyone excluding tire salesmen...

by PAH 4/4/2012 4:55:54 PM
We have this $1 million-plus overlay job scheduled for '14, but are currently trying to allocate funds that would allow us to get it done before then. David Wrone, St. Louis County

by dwrone 4/4/2012 4:55:55 PM
Linda, I think a prime spot for the signs that say "right on red after stop" as found at Vandeventer and 40/64 would be at the light at Brentwood (to go North) and the Service Road/170.

by Lando Griffin 4/4/2012 4:58:12 PM
I've sent your suggestion to our signals group for consideration. Thank you. David Wrone St. Louis County

by dwrone 4/4/2012 4:58:17 PM
Has there ever been any consideration of putting a singal at the 3 way intersection of Hwy N, N. outer service rd and bates rd? that is a very dangerous intersection with cars coming at all directions

by fred 4/4/2012 4:58:56 PM
We do not anticipate putting a signal in at the intersection of the South Outer 364, Route N and Bates Road -- Traffic around that area will be addressed in some fashion in the Page Phase 3 project. Since this is a design-build project, we won't have specific details until 2013. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Community Relations

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 4:58:59 PM
any plans to re-pave I-55? i travel often to perryville from jefferson county - the pavement on I-55 is deplorable with hundreds of bumpy, cracked repair patches both southbound and northbound - it is a bumpy, rough, clickity-clack ride the entire way and cannot be good on tires or my car's suspension, not to mention passengers being jostled the whole way - something needs to be done soon

by roughroad 4/4/2012 5:01:58 PM
MoDOT has plans to resurface portions of I-55 south of Jefferson County this year. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Community Relations

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 5:02:00 PM
There are signs along Lemay Ferry referring to "55 ByPass" can you shed light on the project?

by Andrew Bollwerk 4/4/2012 5:04:09 PM
Andrew -- The I-55 Bypass route is a test project that we are working on. If there is a major incident on I-55, we can use the overhead message boards to let drivers know of the best ways to bypass that route, directing them down the appropriate bypass route. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Community Relations

by andrew.gates 4/4/2012 5:04:10 PM
Are they ever going to finish the Gravois bridge in Fenton? The high water reason is bunk. Even when the water was low no work was done sometimes for months. The bridge over the Mississippi is going faster. It appears all the work on the piers in the water was finished last year and yet very little work gets finished on the rest of the structure. I have gone by there many days and no one is there working nor has equipment moved for weeks

by kevin 4/4/2012 5:17:11 PM
I'm not quite sure to what you're referring in reference to "very little work gets finished." Our contractor poured the entire deck last month - 550 cubic yards of concrete. Workers are currently installing drainage pipes and preparing to install the iron supports necessary for the structure's approach slabs. We'll soon be pouring sidewalks on the deck, as well. High water levels did in fact severely limit progress on this structure. This wasn't "bunk." Repeatedly, work was halted - sometimes for months - because the river was simply too high. Work was halted from November through February of last/this year because it was too risky to pour 550 cubic yards of concrete without the certainty of having seven consecutive warm days required for the "curing" process. Had we proceeded with the pour, say, in December, and wound up having it ruined by a sudden (but typical) drop in temperatures, we would have had to rip it all out and re-pour - at taxpayers' expense. The bridge is scheduled for completion by this August. David Wrone, St. Louis County

by dwrone 4/4/2012 5:17:14 PM