Ask the Road Crew
Springtime means potholes and road construction projects. Ask the Road Crew your questions about street or highway plans. The live chat starts at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1.
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Signal concern - yesterday (Tuesday), 4:40-4:45 pm, westbound Manchester at Big Bend, in Maplewood, the left turn lane was receiving just a flashing yellow (no green arrow) for at least 3 cycles. Given the amount of eastbound traffic, only 2-3 vehicles were able to turn left on each cycle, leaving at least a half dozen waiting, each time. Can this be looked into and corrected? Thanks!
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Signal concern, Grant at Watson. It seems like the controller, here, requires a vehicle be detected before the yellow phase starts on Watson before the vehicle will be given a signal in that cycle. Even if you show up before any greens are given, if you're "late", you're going to have to wait a full cycle. Besides being frustrating, it ends up requiring more red time on Watson, since it's not unusual for only one or two phases (out of 4, total, potentially) to cycle, for just 1, 2 or 3 vehicles, each time..
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Why aren't 3rd parties that damage Roads, required to fix them properly? For example, a few months ago a semi truck burned on I64 across from the Smoke House and left the highway badly pitted. This badly pitted section will likely fail long before the nearby road that was recently repaved. Surely with all of the Press, traffic jam and police involvement, the 3rd party is known. In the end, taxpayers will get stuck with this Bill, Why?? There are so many other examples, drive down Wild Horse Creek Rd and see entire sections of the road that were cut out so 3rd parties could lay pipe under the road. A little bit of patch is used to cover the hole. This patch will sink and/or fail in a very short period of time. Again, why aren't 3 parties required to make this road as good as new and be required to follow up if the repair fails??
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We do bring insurance claims against third parties who damage roadways. As with any claim, it can take a while for it to get resolved. Of course, in the meantime, we do make sure that the roadway is safe to travel upon. Utility work can often be a temporary patch while the ensure the issue was in fact corrected, with a followup to install a more permanent patch. This too, can take some time while the utility awards a contract for the permanent fix. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Communications
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We're currently working to resolve another unforeseen complication: the discovery of a previously undisclosed, subterranean concrete wall maintained by Missouri American Water. Work had to cease several weeks ago after our contractor "found" the structure. Although we're working as quickly as possible to develop a viable plan to circumvent this problem, unfortunately, it's quite possible that our present dilemma will extend this project well into the summer. David Wrone, St. Louis County
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A Road Crew participant recently observed: Hanley and Manchester signal - the westbound through in the weekday PM gets chronically shortchanged for green time. The WB queue rarely seems to clear and it doesn't seem that much heavier than EB. I'll also add that the WB through is not helped by the number of eastbound left turns on red that don't allow the westbound to go immediately when they get the green. It seems like green time could be better distributed in the evenings (or phased differently) at this intersection so that drivers don't feel the need to run red lights. ST. LOUIS COUNTY'S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S REPLY: Our signals group recently studied traffic flow at the intersection of Hanley and Manchester. Extended periods of congestion were observed on southbound Hanley and westbound Manchester during peak evening hours. We program our signals in an attempt to balance the delay for all vehicular movements; for example, because eastbound Manchester traffic is extremely light compared to southbound and westbound movements at this intersection, the eastbound signal phase is programmed for a minimal amount of “Green” time. However, regardless of our efforts to reduce congestion as much as possible, no amount of adjusting and tweaking of our signals phases will completely eradicate “wait” times during peak traffic volume hours. Inevitably, during rush hour drive times, not every vehicle will be able to clear the intersection in a single cycle. Traffic volume is simply too robust. In the absence of a practical “fix” to this issue, we can only suggest that motorists adjust their commute time, if at all possible. David Wrone, St. Louis County
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Why has the traffic light timing from southbound Lindbergh onto eastbound I-64 (40) changed? Since construction years ago it has been an efficient and workable length of time. It recently changed and now only allows a max of four cars to get through (in each lane). This short light is only going to make the bad driving behavior caused by the "double-merge" of two lanes coming onto the Interstate to get worse.
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Whenever it rains, most (if not all) of the MO-DOT signs cease showing travel times. Why is this? As someone with a lengthy commute (North County -> South County), I value that information for determining the best route home. This is especially frustrating Downtown, as the board at 7th street (44/55 split) always omits travel times during inclement weather. It would seem that inclement weather is precisely when drivers would most need this information. Is this a feature or a bug?
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It shouldn't be -- at most the weather message should be a message that alternates with the travel time. I have asked our transportation management center team to dig into that and see if there is some issue that is causing the weather safety message to have a higher priority than the travel times. If I hear something from our team before the end of chat, I will share it. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Communications
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For the past few weeks, the lights going south on Hanley Road out of Clayton have been out of sync in the mid-afternoon (I’ve noticed it each day between 2:00 and 3:00 PM). The problem is either at the intersection of Hanley & Clayton or Hanley & I-64. The lights used to be timed where you could go through both without having to stop, but now you’re guaranteed to have to stop at both. This leads to a chain reaction of more stops at the other lights on southbound Hanley. Could you please look in to this?
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The traffic signal at Clayton and Brentwood has been cycling in all directions without vehicles triggering sensors as early as 5 AM. This has been going on for months. I've completed numerous requests for service on the STL County Request for Roadway Service Form without success.
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This very well could be the result of damaged pavement-imbedded vehicle sensors. Destruction of these sensors is not uncommon during major road projects - and Clayton Road has been undergoing improvements at this and other locations since last fall. I'll forward your information to our signals group, and will post a reply ASAP. David Wrone, St. Louis County
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On Timberlake Manor at the north 64 outer road the light is way to short if you are going southbound at the intersection by Bunge. Lucky if three cars get through on a light. Also going north towards the dead end there are two straight lanes from the bridge but it goes to basically no stripe on the other side with no lane ends sign. Therefore people assume it is one lane and fight for it.
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What time are you seeing the concern at the outer road? We can take a look at the signal to see if we can make any adjustments; However, once you are past (north of) the signal, the state no longer maintains the road -- it is most likely maintained by the property owners there (or Chesterfield). They would have to address any lane lines. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Communications
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Are there any plans to keep people from tying into 61 in St. Charles and Lincoln counties? It was kind of stupid just to let subdivisions and apartment complexes to jack right into a divided highway when that stretch is high accident. They should have been required to build an outer road to another existing tie in. If you look at the maps there are also several places where a crossover could be eliminated because the a road connects two entries/exits onto 61. With building overpasses I hope you guys don’t take a step backwards and be like oh that new subdivision of a 1000 houses can just tie right into 61.
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We will work with any future developments in those area to determine what is appropriate as far as managing future traffic along the corridor. Any changes (including entrances) to the state roadway system have to go through a review and permitting process, which includes looking at the number of vehicles that use that stretch of roadway and the number that the proposed change might involve. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Communications
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The signal from Vance road to 141 needs some changes. The right turn lane going from Vance to southbound 141 backs up regularly because the light from westbound Vance has a flashing yellow arrow allowing people to turn on south 141 while eastbound Vance is green with a flashing yellow left arrow. Maybe you guys should put in a green right arrow and stripe the westbound left lane into the far left lane on southbound 141. I’m tired of sitting behind people who won’t move even if cars from westbound Vance are turning into the far left of southbound 141.
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I've asked our traffic team to take a look at this; however, since it is a yielding right turn (and individuals turning left from Forrest have been known to turn wide), there may be little additional to do that wouldn't significantly impact the amount of time available to the through traffic on Route 141, especially during rush periods. We do have a resurfacing project on 141 in this area that I've asked our construction team to look at any changes they might be able to include to help guide people into the appropriate lanes on southbound 141. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Communications
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Mr Gates,
Will you please ask your signals group if they have fixed the detection issue associated with the signal for westbound Reavis Barracks Road onto southbound I-55. I asked about this a couple of weeks ago and the left turn lane arrow is still giving long green left arrows when there is little or no traffic. This is happening all days and all times of the week.
I'm speculating that they have the signals on "recall" because they are awaiting a part to fix the problem.
Thank you. -
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There is an unfilled utility cut on Gratiot just west of Broadway. Also, does the City allow permits for cars to block Broadway before Cardinals games. There is always a car blocking the easternmost lane on Broadway in front of the Stadium East Garage at Clark. This is because they have a stand selling stuff on the sidewalk next to it.
This might not be bad on weekends, but they always block one lane during rush hour during weekday games. -
Utility cuts are backfilled by contractors up to 2" of existing grade with the City to resurface to grade. This location is on our schedule for resurfacing. The City issues blocking permits for sidewalks, parking lanes, and driving lanes, though I don't recall one for the condition/location you described - will check it out.
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