ST. LOUIS 鈥 Leveling the Forest Park Avenue-Grand Boulevard intersection to make it safer for pedestrians is among the ideas being considered to improve a stretch of Highway 40 (Interstate 64) along the city鈥檚 central corridor.
Under the proposal considered by the Missouri Department of Transportation, Forest Park would no longer run below Grand near the highway, as it has for decades.
Instead, it would be raised to be at grade level with Grand, creating a traditional intersection that advocates reason would be more accessible.
鈥淭he pedestrian has to be on high alert鈥 currently, said MoDOT engineer Jen Wade. She pointed out that people walking along Grand now have to cross two ramps connecting to the lower-level Forest Park Avenue, and nearby businesses鈥 driveways as well.
MoDOT is seeking public input on the Grand-Forest Park idea and other potential changes along a nearly three-mile segment of 40/64 between Kingshighway and Jefferson Avenue.
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While the highway route itself wouldn鈥檛 change, adjustments to exit and entrance ramps could alleviate congestion.
The initiative, dubbed has included two briefings for the public, most recently on Jan. 18. More than 150 people stopped by the open house-style session. MoDOT also has received more than 100 online comments; the deadline for those is Wednesday.
Wade, MoDOT鈥檚 area engineer for the city, said the agency already had been planning up to a $100 million renovation of bridges spanning the highway between Kingshighway and Jefferson in the next few years. That spurred the current study, which began about a year ago, of whether other changes are needed as well.
鈥淲hat we heard in our community engagement with businesses, residents, students and commuters to the area is that everybody鈥檚 interested in making a better environment for pedestrians, if possible,鈥 she said.
The study also is taking into consideration bicyclists and users of public transit.
Among other proposals are adding a shared-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists on the Tower Grove Avenue bridge over the highway and lengthening and adding a second lane to the westbound 40/64 exit ramp to Boyle Avenue.
Creating an eastbound entrance ramp from Boyle also is proposed.
Other possibilities include:
鈥 Adding signals at the Grand entrance ramp to westbound 40/64.
鈥 New bus-only lanes on Grand between Chouteau and Forest Park avenues to improve efficiency on the Grand bus line, the most heavily used in the Metro Transit system. Potentially the city could extend the bus-only lanes, Wade said.
鈥 A new bridge taking Theresa Avenue across railroad tracks near 40/64. Now Theresa stops north and south of the railroad area.
鈥 A new eastbound highway on-ramp from Bernard Street and a revamped off-ramp to Bernard.
鈥 Replacement of two entrance ramps that take vehicles into lefthand lanes of the highway with ramps that enter a righthand lane.
Those and other ideas were integrated into four alternative plans presented at the Jan. 18 session. Some of them, such as the Grand-Forest Park intersection overhaul, are in more than one of the proposals.
The intersection revamp would be similar to one carried out by the city a few years ago at Forest Park Avenue and Kingshighway.
The price tag for the Future 64-related work ranges as high as $239 million, with state and federal money covering most of the cost. Some local funds also would be involved.
Under the least expensive option, costing $100 million, only the bridge updates would be carried out to maintain the road system as it exists now. But choosing that option, MoDOT鈥檚 website says, would likely increase road congestion and continue 鈥渟afety issues鈥 for all types of users.
Wade said no changes in the basic configuration of the highway itself are under consideration because 鈥渨e did not see major capacity limitations鈥 in coming years.
Wade said MoDOT personnel will go over public feedback and work with city officials and others to devise a hybrid 鈥減referred alternative.鈥
She said she hoped that could be done by the end of the year. Construction wouldn鈥檛 begin until 2027 at the earliest, she said. Not all of the proposed changes will be included.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 a need to do everything here,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking for the wisest investments.鈥