ST. LOUIS (KTVI-myfoxstl.com) -
The biggest traffic challenge yet for the Highway 40 project is almost here. The Big Bend overpass will close on June 1 and will be out of service for the next six months. But this last major shutdown will make for a traffic nightmare in the Richmond Heights, Brentwood and Clayton areas.
The major problem is the Hanley overpass is still down. That means there is a two mile stretch in St. Louis County where there are only secondary bridges to get across Highway 40.
Hanley carries about 40,000 vehicles per day over the bridge before the shutdown, while Big Bend carried about 25,000. That means 65,000 cars a day have to go somewhere. That will jam up Brentwood to the west and McCausland and Belleview to the east.
Kirby Fowler with the ZX gas station at the intersection says it will definitely impact business for the next six months. "My customers are anticipating big delays," says Fowler. "it's going to throw a lot of traffic off onto these side streets. It will have a significant impact on the traffic as well as our business."
This will be the last major shutdown of this reconstruction project, but will certainly be one of the most challenging.
The major problem is the Hanley overpass is still down. That means there is a two mile stretch in St. Louis County where there are only secondary bridges to get across Highway 40.
Hanley carries about 40,000 vehicles per day over the bridge before the shutdown, while Big Bend carried about 25,000. That means 65,000 cars a day have to go somewhere. That will jam up Brentwood to the west and McCausland and Belleview to the east.
Kirby Fowler with the ZX gas station at the intersection says it will definitely impact business for the next six months. "My customers are anticipating big delays," says Fowler. "it's going to throw a lot of traffic off onto these side streets. It will have a significant impact on the traffic as well as our business."
This will be the last major shutdown of this reconstruction project, but will certainly be one of the most challenging.
