Chat with the Road Crew at 1 p.m. Feb. 19
Is your route to work giving you a headache because of potholes, poorly timed lights or street construction? Let the experts know, and ask them your questions about highways and roads. The live chat starts at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
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Last week, MetroWest asked about the recently placed surface on Route 47 -- especially around the Route 100 intersection. We are working with the contactor to remove and replace some areas of the roadway where the surface hasn't bonded well. That is expected to happen this spring when temperatures are more conducive for asphalt work. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Communications -
What is being to done to combat the increase of signage for lawn companies, moving companies, "I Buy Houses," etc. that are popping up along highway right of ways in the area? Essentially, this is littering, right? You have their names and phone numbers -- how about some citations? -
MoDOT is not an enforcement agency -- we do not have the authority, nor personnel, to issue citations -- that would be up to local law enforcement. However, when our maintenance crews have time, they remove any material that may be placed on state-maintained right of way and move them to the nearest maintenance shed, where, if the individuals desire, they may come pick up their material. You may also wish to reach out to your local municipality -- as they may have ordinances that they can enforce. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Communications
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The traffic light at Lindbergh and Litzsinger is still cycling through all four directions giving equal time each way. Can it be set back to favoring NB and SB Lindbergh because they have multiple times more traffic? I know that it will need to be adjusted once Lifetime Fitness opens, but at least for now can we keep the traffic flowing?
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The only work we are doing on Route 30 is a box culvert replacement about two miles west of Route 141. Heading east, the 60mph signs are on both sides of the road near Lakenny. Heading west the 60mph signs are on both sides of the road past Valley Dell, before Sugar Creek. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Communications
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You have to give interstate traffic merging into another interstate it's own lane (so I-55 needs its own lane as it is merging into I-44). Since there are only two through westbound lanes, that leaves one lane open for westbound I-44 traffic. To get that one lane, we have had to merge the two ramp lanes together before getting to Jefferson. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Communications
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I'm also curious as to why Modot favors the morning commute. For all of the lane closures that have occurred on 44 these past 5+ years, Modot has always closed more westbound lanes than eastbound lanes. For two years, westbound was down to 2 lanes while eastbound was just down to 3 lanes. Is this intentional?
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Originally, we had tried three lanes in each direction, but found that the narrower lanes created more issues (there was no place for stalled traffic (or crashes) to move to the side, and the narrow lanes, with the large amount of truck traffic, made many drivers concerned.) Having two lanes in one direction and three in the other lets us keep the lanes a little wider, and traffic moves better through the two wider lanes than through the three more narrow lanes. Eastbound traffic is significantly heavier in the morning rush than westbound, but is only slightly less heavy than evening rush; Since there is more overall traffic heading east than west, we chose to give westbound two lanes and eastbound three lanes. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Communications
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Last week, a chat participant asked: "On Treetop Village Drive at Big Bend, is it possible for the road to be textured or grooved? The road ends in a short but steep hill onto Big Bend. Any sort of ice, snow or sometimes even rain and it's almost impossible for cars to make it up onto Big Bend with enough speed to cross two lanes of traffic. Often times, cars get halfway out and stuck and cars coming the other way have to stop and wait." ST. LOUIS COUNTY'S REPLY: Although as a matter of policy, we don't install grooves in pavement, our Operations group makes every effort to ensure that this street is salted in a timely manner prior to and during winter events. David Wrone, St. Louis County's Department of Transportation -
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I think there is no solution but traveling east on 40/64 between 4:15 and 5:15 there seems to be an accident between Brentwood and Skinker almost daily - I notice merging traffic from Hanley all seem to race to get as close to Big Bend - and then merge at the last second - maybe reduce speed through this area? Thanks as always gentlemen
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Unfortunately, that is more due to drivers being aggressive than due to the speed of traffic (especially during a time when there is consistently congestion). We strongly encourage drivers to pack their patience during times of congestion, or consider adjusting when you travel in the area, or use an alternate route. Andrew Gates, MoDOT Communications
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The shoulder and grassy area on northbound I-44, just before the North 10th Street exit, are a mess. Trash, sand?, standing water and mud are in the shoulder and along the grass embankment. I've asked about this before, and I think you said that options were being considered to help the erosion/poor drainage, but could you be more specific about what is being planned or if MODOT or the city are responsible for maintenance along the grass embankments next to the highway? Thanks.
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I'll have to check on whether we have a resurfacing project planned for this section of Eddie & Park. However, the water company will be required to restore any pavement it disrupted/disturbed during its own project. David Wrone, St. Louis County's Department of Transportation
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For the person asking about a MetroLink expansion announcement: The right chat to ask that question will be the upcoming chat with Metro, which should be the first Wednesday in March. They used to chat with readers once a month, and recently switched to a quarterly chat. Keep an eye on this page to find the link to the chat after it goes live. -
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It was my understanding that the damaged traffic sensors ("loops") creating this problem had been replaced. But that's obviously not the case. I'll touch base again with our signals group. Sorry for the frustration! David Wrone, St. Louis County's Department of Transportation
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