Seek alternate routes during I-64 shutdown in St. Louis

A new interchange between Interstate 64 and Interstate 170 in the midst of construction. Dan Galvin/Gateway Constructors Inc.

Rather than drag out renovation of Interstate 64 in the St. Louis area over eight years by leaving one lane open during construction, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) opted to get the work done faster by closing portions of the highway for two one-year increments.

Not unlike pulling off a Band-Aid quickly, the pain will be more intense but shorter lived.

Area motorists surely will feel the pain starting on Jan. 2 when MoDOT and its contractor, Gateway Constructors, will close I-64 from Ballas Road to Interstate 170. All lanes of I-64 in this five-mile section will be closed all of 2008, which will force area motorists and travelers to find alernate routes.

“MoDOT, Gateway Constructors and our regional partners with the county, city and Metro (bus and light rail system) are ready to handle the regional traffic changes that will happen in January,” said MoDOT Engineer Ed Hassinger. “There will be significant delays if people do not change their commuting times and habits.”

To prepare for the extra traffic, MoDOT has striped an extra lane on Interstates 70 and 44 in each direction in the most heavily traveled areas. In addition, MoDOT has upgraded the traffic signals on Page Avenue, Olive Street Road, Manchester Road and Lindbergh Boulevard to make these alternate routes move traffic more efficiently.

The entire $535 million I-64 project stretches from west of Spoede Road in St. Louis County to east of Kingshighway in St. Louis City. The project will rebuild nearly 10 miles of interstate, 12 interchanges and six overpasses, as well as complete a new interchange at I-170 and add one lane in each direction from I-270 to I-170.

During 2008, vehicles heading west on I-64 at the east end of the closure can exit onto Hanley Road and northbound I-170. Southbound cars on I-170 can exit onto Eager Road and eastbound I-64. Northbound I-170 will have one lane from Eager Road. There will be no access on or off I-64 at Brentwood Boulevard.

At the west end of the closure, vehicles traveling east on I-64 will be diverted to north or southbound Interstate 270 or Ballas Road. Westbound I-64 will have one lane open from Ballas Road and the ramps from north and south I-270.

To help area drivers keep abreast of traffic advisories, MoDOT launched a Web site, www.thenewi64.org, that includes a tool called “Map My Trip” to help travelers find alternate routes. AAA’s online maps also have been updated to note the construction.

In 2009, the portion of I-64 from I-170 to Kingshighway will shut down for a year.

Illinois toughens teen driver license law to help save lives

Creating one of the toughest teen driving laws in the nation, Illinois has tightened restrictions in its Graduated Driver License (GDL) law to reduce the situations that put teens at serious risk for crashes, like nighttime driving and having passengers in the car.

The new law, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2008, was developed because traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the United States.

Among the changes, the new law extends the learner’s permit period from three to nine months before the driver can get an intermediate license that lets him or her drive without an adult. Starting July 1, it will require student drivers to complete six hours of actual on-the-street driving with a certified instructor. Presently, five of those six hours can be substituted with other methods, such as computer simulation.

Addtionally, the law extends nighttime curfews to drivers up to 17 years old from 16 years old. The weekday curfew moves up to 10 p.m. from 11 p.m., and the weekend curfew moves to 11 p.m. from midnight.

Because passengers are a distraction for teen drivers, the new law doubles from six to 12 months the time during which a GDL driver under the age of 18 may carry only one unrelated passenger under the age of 20, excluding siblings.

New drivers also must have 15 months of violation-free driving before the age of 18 to be eligible for an unrestricted GDL license. And there are tougher sanctions for street racing and repeat traffic tickets.