Upcoming Ribbon Cuttings:

MoDOT to Celebrate Completion of Route 21 Project from Lake Lorraine to Route A

     Hillsboro - The Missouri Department of Transportation is pleased to announce that it will open the new Route 21 from Lake Lorraine to Route A on Friday, December 12. Construction on the new four-lane divided highway began in Summer 2006.

MoDOT will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. on Friday, December 12 on the new highway. MoDOT cordially invites the media and public to attend the ceremony, which will be held on the New Route 21 under the Old Route 21 Bridge north of Lake Lorraine.

The opening of the New Route 21 is great news for Jefferson County motorists. The new Route 21 was constructed to improve the safety and capacity of this highway. The prior Route 21 only had two lanes with very narrow shoulders and several entrances, which resulted in long traffic delays. The new road provides a much better alignment, which means it is straighter and less hilly with wider shoulders that will improve visibility and safety. This project completed the New Route 21 from St. Louis County to Route B. The $25.1 million project was awarded to Fred Weber, Inc. using Amendment 3 funds.

Recent Ribbon Cuttings:

MoDOT Celebrates Opening for Elmont Road Overpass

     Sullivan – Missouri Department of Transportation is pleased to celebrate the opening of the Elmont overpass which is a part of the Route 185 and the Elmont Road Overpass improvement project in the city of Sullivan at a dedication ceremony on Tuesday, October 21. The ceremony began promptly at 10 a.m. with the media and the public invited to attend. It was held at the project site on the new Elmont Overpass at Route 185 in Sullivan. (Directions: Take Interstate 44 westbound and exit at Sullivan (Exit 225) go south, then make a right on East Springfield Road and then a right on Elmont Road).

MoDOT relocated Route 185 slightly to the east and constructed a new Route 185 bridge over Interstate 44 that connects to Elmont Road. The new bridge now has two 12-foot lanes and two six-foot shoulders. This provides significant traffic relief to the Interstate 44 interchange at Exit 225. Sidewalks were included on both sides of the new bridge. MoDOT improved Alice Road to provide a connection to Route 185 and extend the roadway to the east to tie into Route WW (north outer road). West Springfield Road, Route D and North Park Street were also improved to provide new connections to the south outer road. MoDOT added a traffic signal at the West Springfield intersection (Exit 225), which is re-designated as Route 185.

The project was awarded to Don Schnieders Excavating Company, Inc. for approximately $8.5 million.

Dedicating the Route 185 and Elmont Overpass Project is great news for the partnership between MoDOT and the City of Sullivan. The improvement project will now help relieve current traffic congestion, improve highway safety and accommodate future growth in Sullivan.

MoDOT Opens New Exit Ramp to Missouri Research Park

     ST. LOUIS – The Missouri Department of Transportation, its contractor L. Krupp Construction, and St. Charles County and Missouri Research Park officials celebrated the opening of a new exit ramp from eastbound Interstate 64/Route 40. They held a ribbon cutting on Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. at the top of the new ramp in Weldon Spring.

This ribbon cutting marks the completion of an extensive effort by MoDOT, St. Charles County, the University of Missouri and local businesses to complete the new exit ramp from the interstate. The project cost more than $1.5 million, and the research park and local businesses donated right of way and labor to complete the project.

“Funding and advancing this project has been a great partnership between the Missouri Department of Transportation and the University of Missouri,” said Rick Finholt, executive director for the Missouri Research Park. “The innovative financing, design and inspection work on the part of MoDOT, along with the fill material relocation work, and tenant and University of Missouri matching funds, made this project a successful reality.”

Ed Hassinger, MoDOT district engineer for St. Louis said,  “By using innovative financing options to complete needed transportation projects, MoDOT can help increase the economic development of growing areas around the state. Cooperating with other state agencies and local businesses to accomplish vitally needed projects is one of the best ways to help stretch the diminishing highway construction dollars MoDOT has available.”

For more information on MoDOT Ribbon Cuttings, call MoDOT toll-free at 1-888-ASK MODOT (275-6636) or send MoDOT an e-mail.