ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Department of Transportation is sharing its latest plans for major changes to Interstate 64 in St. Louis, including replacing or rehabbing bridges and changing traffic flow to make for a smoother commute. The specific corridor of I-64 is between Kingshighway Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue. It’s a multi-million dollar investment to also upgrade on- and off-ramps.
"We’ve got hospitals, universities, art institutions, schools, and lots of neighborhoods," said Jen Wade, a MoDOT spokesperson.
That means plenty of traffic. Right now, MoDOT is ready to get to work to make things a bit smoother.
"We’re very interested in what’s going on," said Patrick Shea, a St. Louis resident.
"Safety is my number one issue," added Mary Walsh.
People packed City Foundry on Tuesday for an open house to review design concepts and updated plans, which includes working on the Vandeventer Bridge.
"The eastbound bridge needs to be replaced and the westbound bridge that goes over, it's much longer, just needs rehab work,” Wade explained.
She said after hearing from the public, accessibility is a big issue the state wants to address. "We’re trying to reconnect the city grid so the city has access north and south of the interstate rather than having that be a barrier where they can only come to one of a few places to get through," she said.
A potential fix: a new crossing under the interstate at Teresa Avenue.
"That allows for people to come on street level all the way down to the Metro Link station. Right now, one of our busiest metro link stations is the Grand MetroLink but you have to take an elevator or stairs to get from Grand down to the station,” she continued.
Drivers said they are glad to see MoDOT also looking at ramps that many say don't make getting on and off the interstate very convenient at all.
"Particularly from Forest Park when you want to get off at Jefferson to get over to Lafayette Square,” Walsh said.
MoDOT said it's all on their radar.
“You've got Market ramps and Forest Park Avenue ramps kind of creating a spaghetti situation,” Wade acknowledged.
An $87 million budget is now allocated for crews to get to work.
"Before you put that much money down, you want to make sure what you put in is going to last for the future,” Wade added.
The first wave of work could begin in late 2026. Between now and then, there is even more work from a planning standpoint—including the best way to navigate traffic once construction begins.