Interstate 64 in Missouri

Summary

Interstate 64 (I-64) passes through the Greater St. Louis area in the US state of Missouri. The entire route is concurrent with U.S. Route 40 (US 40). Because the road was a main thoroughfare in the St. Louis area before the development of the Interstate Highway System, it is not uncommon for locals to refer to the stretch of highway as "Highway 40" rather than "I-64". On December 6, 2009, the portion of the highway running through the city of St. Louis was named the Jack Buck Memorial Highway in honor of the late sportscaster.[2]

Interstate 64 marker

Interstate 64

U.S. Route 40
Map
I-64 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MoDOT
Length40.817 mi[1] (65.689 km)
Existed1987–present
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end
I-70 / US 40 / US 61 in Wentzville
Major intersections
East end I-55 / I-64 / US 40 in St. Louis
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMissouri
CountiesSt. Charles, St. Louis, City of St. Louis
Highway system
US 63 Route 64

Route description edit

I-64 begins at an interchange with I-70, US 40, and US 61 in St. Charles County and heads south. Previously, the freeway was a divided highway signed only as US 40 with at-grade intersections, which were slowly converted to limited-access exits. The final intersection at Callahan Road was removed on October 14, 2009.[3] The next major exit is for Route N and the western terminus of Route 364. Route 364 was completed and opened on November 2, 2014.[4] From here, I-64 continues past interchanges with Route DD/Winghaven Boulevard, Route 94, and Research Park Circle and then crosses the Missouri River via the Daniel Boone Bridge and enters St. Louis County.

The freeway travels through the congested Chesterfield Valley, where it gains a fourth lane and then meets I-270 at a flyover interchange built in the early 1990s in the city of Town and Country. Continuing east, I-64 remains four lanes and travels through the affluent areas of Frontenac and Ladue. The next major interchange is I-170 in the city of Richmond Heights. This stretch, located between Ballas Road and I-170, was closed in 2008 for a complete reconstruction, at which point substandard exits were upgraded and the fourth lane was added. The interchange with I-170 was also overhauled, creating a full interchange with highspeed ramps in all directions. The reconstructed expressway opened to traffic on the morning of December 15, 2008.

East of the interchange with I-170, I-64 drops a lane and stays at three throughlanes to Clayton Road. Through here, the expressway passes through older neighborhoods and enters into the city of St. Louis. After readding a fourth lane, the freeway skirts the southern edge of Forest Park. In this area, one finds both the Saint Louis Science Center and Saint Louis Zoo. Kingshighway marks the end of the completely reconstructed eastern half, where again outdated exits were updated and shoulders widened. The eastern half was closed from December 15, 2008, to December 7, 2009.[5] I-64's speed limit drops from 60 to 55 mph (97 to 89 km/h) east of Kingshighway and drops a lane at Vandeventer Avenue (the opposite of the westbound lanes). Passing by Saint Louis University, the freeway becomes double-decked for the first time (eastbound lanes at a lower level; westbound lanes at an upper one), gaining back a fourth lane east of Compton Avenue. Another lane drop occurs at the Chestnut and 20th Street exit, where the canceled Route 755 was to interchange. The freeway passes just south of the Enterprise Center and again becomes double-decked in the same arrangement, passing within 50 feet (15 m) of the New Busch Stadium. The route becomes two lanes as it approaches the Mississippi River and the Poplar Street Bridge, where it is intersects I-55 and I-44 at an incomplete interchange; it was also at this interchange that I-70 joined I-55 and I-64 to cross the Poplar Street Bridge, but its former downtown route is now an extension of I-44. Eastbound I-64 cannot directly access either one of the other routes, but westbound I-64, however, can directly access both. I-64 continues into Illinois concurrent with I-55; until 2014, it also ran concurrent with I-70, which has since been rerouted onto the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge further upstream.

History edit

 
In 2008, I-64/US 40 was closed in this area for a complete reconstruction between 2008 and 2009. Shown is the Spoede Road overpass above I-64. This overpass was demolished in June 2008.

Initial construction edit

Before the Interstate Highway System, US 40 was a main thoroughfare through St. Louis and Kansas City. From each state line, there were signs saying "Future I-55/I-64 Corridor" and "Future I-70 Corridor".

Reconstruction edit

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) rebuilt the stretch of I-64 from Spoede Road to Kingshighway Boulevard between 2008 and 2009. The project included new concrete pavement on the highway; approximately 25 rebuilt bridges; and several reconfigured interchanges, including a new freeway-to-freeway interchange at I-170.

The section between Spoede Road and I-170 was closed for reconstruction on January 2, 2008, and opened to traffic on December 15, 2008. The section between I-170 and Kingshighway Boulevard was closed on December 15, 2008, and reopened to traffic on December 7, 2009.[6] The project was completed with a dedication and opening day ceremony on Sunday, December 6.[2] In 2020, exits 39 and 38B were closed and demolished to make way for the CityPark, a new soccer-specific stadium for St. Louis City SC on the site.[7] The ramps were the remnants of a 3.3-mile-long (5.3 km) north–south distributor highway that was never built.[8]

Exit list edit

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
St. CharlesWentzville0.000–
0.305
0.000–
0.491
1 
 
 
US 61 north / Avenue of the Saints – Hannibal
  
 
I-70 / US 40 west – Kansas City, St. Louis
National western terminus; signed as exits 1A (I-70/US 40 west) and 1B (I-70 east); exit 210 on I-70; western end of concurrency with US 40/US 61/AOTS; cloverleaf interchange
Lake St. Louis1.4332.3061CProspect Road
3.0384.8892Lake Saint Louis Boulevard
3.9266.3184A  Route NExits 1A-B on SR 364; cloverleaf interchange
4.3266.9624B 
 
Route 364 east
O'Fallon6.27510.0996  Route DD (Winghaven Boulevard)
9.99516.0859  Route K – O'Fallon
Weldon Spring10.72617.26210  Route 94 – St. CharlesEastbound exit is via exit 9
11.92819.19611Research Park CircleNo westbound entrance
Missouri River13.18621.221Daniel Boone Bridge
St. LouisChesterfield13.757–
14.043
22.140–
22.600
14Chesterfield Airport RoadEastbound exit and westbound entrance
14.65123.578Spirit of Saint Louis BoulevardWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
14.917–
16.204
24.007–
26.078
16Long Road / Chesterfield Airport RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
17.15027.60017Boone's Crossing
19.22130.93319AChesterfield Parkway West
19.84831.94219B  Route 340 (Olive Boulevard / Clarkson Road)
20.5032.9920Chesterfield Parkway EastWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
20.31632.69521Timberlake Manor Parkway
Town and Country22.55336.29622  Route 141 (Woods Mill Road)
23.23137.38723Maryville Centre DriveNo eastbound exit
24.18638.92424Mason Road
25.88641.65925 
 
I-270 north – Chicago
 
 
I-270 south – Memphis
Exit 12 on I-270 north, exits 12A-B on I-270 south
26.20742.17626   Route JJ (Ballas Road)Access to Mercy Hospital, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, and Covenant Seminary
Frontenac27.74544.65127Spoede Road
28.26745.49128A 
 
  
 
US 61 south / US 67 / Lewis and Clark Trail west / Historic US 66 (Lindbergh Boulevard)
Avenue of the Saints ends
Eastern end of concurrency with US 61; western end of concurrency with LCT; national southern terminus of the Avenue of the Saints
Ladue28.86246.44928BClayton RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
30.73549.46330McKnight Road
Richmond Heights31.770–
32.249
51.129–
51.900
31B-A 
 
  I-170 north / Brentwood Boulevard / Hanley Road
Signed separately as exits 31B (Hanley/Brentwood) and 31A (I-170) westbound; exits 1A-B-C on I-170; southern terminus of I-170; access to St. Louis Lambert International Airport
32Laclede Station RoadFormer westbound exit and eastbound entrance; removed 2007[9]
33.07153.22333ABig Bend Boulevard
33.46253.85233BBellevue AvenueEastbound exit; westbound entrance via collector road connected to exit 33A
City of St. Louis33.80754.40733CMcCausland Avenue
34.04254.78534AClayton Road / Skinker BoulevardWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
34.94956.24534BHampton Avenue / Oakland AvenueOakland Ave. not signed westbound; access to Forest Park and the Saint Louis Zoo
36.11158.11536A  Kingshighway BoulevardAccess to Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Forest Park, the Missouri Botanical Garden, Ranken Technical College, the St. Louis Science Center, and St. Louis Community College
36.722–
36.800
59.098–
59.224
36BTower Grove Avenue / Boyle AvenueTower Grove Ave. not signed westbound
37.36160.12736CVandeventer AvenueEastbound exit and westbound entrance; access to the Missouri Botanical Garden
37.75060.75337AMarket Street / Bernard StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance
37.82560.87337B  Grand BoulevardEastbound exit and westbound entrance; access to Saint Louis University Hospital
38.000–
38.262
61.155–
61.577
38AForest Park Avenue / Grand BoulevardWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; access to Forest Park, Chaifetz Arena and Washington University
38BMarket Street (3000 West)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; exit removed in 2020 due to the construction of CityPark
38.79362.43138AJefferson AvenueWestbound access via exit 38B
38BChestnut Street at 20th StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance; former Missouri State Route 755; exit removed in 2020 due to the construction of CityPark
39.12462.96438B22nd StreetAccess to CityPark and St. Louis Union Station
39Market Street at 21st StreetWestbound exit and eastbound entrance; former Missouri State Route 755; exit removed in 2020 due to the construction of CityPark
39.64663.80439A14th StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance; access to the Enterprise Center and the Stifel Theatre; entrance ramp includes direct ramp from Clark Avenue
39.80664.06239B11th Street – StadiumEastbound exit only
10th Street / Clark AvenueWestbound entrance only
40.01164.391406th StreetNo westbound exit; last Missouri exit eastbound
40.14064.59940A9th Street / Tucker Boulevard – StadiumWestbound exit only
40.36964.96840C 
 
 
 
I-44 west / I-55 south – Tulsa, Memphis
Closed; consolidated with exit 40B; was westbound exit and eastbound entrance
40.40765.02940B 
 
 
 
 
  I-44 east to I-70 west / Walnut Street – Kansas City
 
 
 
 
I-44 west / I-55 south – Tulsa, Memphis
Western end of concurrency with I-55; westbound exit and eastbound entrance; access to St. Louis Lambert International Airport; former I-70 west
Mississippi River40.81765.689Poplar Street Bridge
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I-55 north / I-64 east / US 40 east / Lewis and Clark Trail east to I-70 east – Illinois
Continuation into Illinois; former I-70 east
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also edit

  •   U.S. Roads portal

References edit

  1. ^ a b Missouri Department of Transportation (October 16, 2018). MoDOT HPMAPS (Map). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Public Invited to I-64 'Fun on the Freeway'" (Press release). Missouri Department of Transportation. November 30, 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
  3. ^ "MoDOT to celebrate completion of Route 40/61 work" (Press release). Missouri Department of Transportation. October 7, 2009. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
  4. ^ "Route 364 upgrade - Phase 3". Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  5. ^ "The New I-64". Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  6. ^ Leiser, Ken. "Highway 40 to reopen Dec. 7". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
  7. ^ Staff reports. "Five Highway 40 (I-64) ramps to close permanently on Feb. 3 for new soccer stadium". STLtoday.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  8. ^ O'Malley, Beth. "Those soon-to-close Highway 40 ramps are remnants of a never-built north-south highway". STLtoday.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  9. ^ "This week on Highway 40". St. Louis Post Dispatch. August 20, 2007. pp. C3. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

External links edit

Template:Attached KML/Interstate 64 in Missouri
KML is from Wikidata
  • Missouri Department of Transportation: The New I-64
  Interstate 64
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