ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A major renovation project that has been ongoing for years along Interstate 270 in north county is nearly complete, and Tuesday morning a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned to mark the historic moment.
The project impacts a lot of drivers, with I-270 being such a major thoroughfare in the area. The interchange is among the improvements that are part of the massive road project. The ribbon-cutting set for 11:00 a.m. Speakers include Governor Mike Parson.
Our Bommarito Automotive Group SkyFOX helicopter was over the north county area earlier this year as work was unfolding on what has been called the ‘I-270 North Project.’ This has been a $278 million project that basically overhauled a heavily used eight-mile stretch of I-270.
The project made infrastructure and safety improvements along 270 and the surrounding area, from North Lindbergh to Lewis and Clark Boulevard in the Bellfontaine neighborhood. Eight interchanges were rebuilt; 12 bridges on and over the highway were replaced; and seven new spans were constructed. An additional driving lane was added in both directions, the outer road system was improved and signals were updated and replaced.
Among the outer road improvements was the elimination of exits where some drivers had to stop and yield to vehicles coming off the highway. MoDOT says the stretch of 270 where all the work has been done was originally built back in the 1960s.
It now handles some 140,000 vehicles daily, including a lot of heavy truck traffic. Some minor work still needs to be done, but MoDOT says that should be completed by the end of the year.
