Politics & Government

St. Peters Seeks Comment on New One-Way Outer Road Plan

Officials have revised plans to include additional on and off ramps to provide access to I-70 and Route 370.

St. Peters is seeking feedback on revised plans to move to a one-way outer road system along Interstate 70 between Cave Springs and Mid Rivers Mall Drive. 

The outer road would switch to westbound between Shady Springs Road and Mid Rivers Mall Drive and eastbound between Mid Rivers Mall Drive to where Mexico Road meets Veterans Memorial Parkway. 

Plans for the access changes to I-70 will be presented for public comment from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 2 at St. Peters City Hall. 

Russ Batzel, manager of the transportation and development services group for St. Peters, said the new plans incorporate changes suggested by businesses and the public at the last hearing, held a year ago.

"A year ago, what we heard was close to 90 percent of the people recognize there was a problem with congestion at 70 and at the interchanges at Mid Rivers and Cave Springs. A similar percentage felt the project was beneficial or somewhat beneficial to the traveling public," Batzel said. 

The challenge was to find a way to provide access to the various types of businesses that are located in the three-mile stretch along the corridor. Those businesses include big box stores like Costco, Mid Rivers Mall and hhgregg, car dealerships and smaller businesses. 

"The businesses were a little more skeptical," Batzel said. "We've done things to address that by reconfiguring ramps and access." 

The city added access from the outer road on both north and south to 70 and to 370. Previous plans did not have access to 370.

In the updated plan, drivers heading westbound on the north outer road would be able to get onto 370 and drivers coming off of 370 could get straight onto the outer road heading west. 

There are on-ramps to I-70 from northbound outer road planned at just past Executive Center Parkway, at 370 and at Mid Rivers Mall Drive.

Heading east on Veterans Memorial Parkway from Mid Rivers Mall Drive, drivers will be able to access 370 and also get on to I-70 at Executive Center Parkway and both right before and right after Cave Springs. 

The public is invited to give comments on the new plans, which would be incorporated into an access justification report for review by the Missouri Department of Transportation. The city hopes to receive approval and look to start construction at the end of 2014 into 2015. 

"We're generally trying to find a way to plan this for the betterment of hte community and access to the community, and again trying to consider every viewpoint," Batzel said. 

The estimated cost for the project has risen to between $12 and $15 million, Batzel said. Funding would come from a range of sources. 


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