Interstate 64 in Missouri

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Interstate 64 marker
Interstate 64
I-64 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by MoDOT
Length40.817 mi[1] (65.689 km)
Existed1987–present
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
CountiesSt. Charles, St. Louis, City of St. Louis
Highway system
US 63 Route 64

Interstate 64 (I-64) passes through the Greater St. Louis area in the U.S. state of Missouri. The entire route overlaps 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]

Route description[]

I-64 begins at an interchange with Interstate 70, U.S. Routes 40 and 61 in St. Charles County and heads south. Previously, the freeway was a divided highway signed only as U.S. 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 Missouri Route 364. Route 364 was completed and opened on November 2, 2014.[4] From here, I-64 continues past interchanges with Winghaven Boulevard / Route DD, 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 Interstate 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 Interstate 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 high speed 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 through lanes to Clayton Road. Through here, the expressway passes through older neighborhoods and enters into the city of St. Louis. After re-adding a fourth lane, the freeway skirts the southern edge of Forest Park. In this area, one finds both the St. Louis Science Center and St. 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 miles per hour east of Kingshighway and drops a lane at Vandeventer Avenue (the opposite of the westbound lanes). Passing by St. Louis University, the freeway becomes double-decked for the first time (eastbound lanes at a lower level, westbound lanes 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 cancelled Missouri 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 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 Interstates 55 and 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[]

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[]

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[]

The Missouri Department of Transportation 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 Interstate 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 St. Louis MLS Stadium on the site.[7] The ramps were the remnants of a 3.3-mile-long North-South Distributor Highway that was never built.[8]

Exit list[]

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
St. CharlesWentzville0.000–
0.305
0.000–
0.491
US 61 north (Avenue of the Saints) – HannibalWestern terminus of concurrency with US-61/AOTS, national western end of I-64
1 I-70 / US 40 west – Kansas City, St. LouisSigned as exits 1A (west) and 1B (east); exit 210 on I-70; western terminus of concurrency with US 40; cloverleaf interchange
Lake St. Louis1.4332.3061CProspect Road
3.0384.8892Lake Saint Louis Boulevard
3.9266.3184A Route N (Hawk Ridge Trail)
4.3266.9624B Route 364 – Dardenne PrairieExits 1A-B on SR 364; cloverleaf interchange
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 – Chicago, MemphisExit 12 on I-270
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 (Lindbergh Boulevard)Eastern terminus of concurrency with US-61; national southern terminus of the Avenue of the Saints
Ladue28.86246.44928BClayton RoadWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
30.73549.46330McKnight Road
Richmond Heights31.77051.12931A I-170 north – ClaytonExit 1 on I-170; southern terminus of I-170; access to Lambert–St. Louis Airport
32.24951.90031BBrentwood Boulevard / Hanley RoadRoads connected via one way collector road
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 AvenueEastbound slip ramp exit to Oakland Avenue eastbound; 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
36BBoyle Avenue / Tower Grove AvenueBoyle Avenue only 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 and Washington University
38BChestnut Street at 20th Street / Market Street at 21st StreetChestnut Street and 20th Street signed eastbound only; Market Street and 21st Street signed westbound only; portion of never-completed Missouri State Route 755; removed 2020 for construction of St. Louis City stadium
38.79362.43138CJefferson AvenueEastbound exit and westbound entrance
39.64663.80439B14th StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance; access to the Enterprise Center and the Stifel Theatre
39.80664.06239C11th StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance; access to Busch Stadium
40.01164.39140B6th StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance
40.14064.59940A9th Street / Tucker BoulevardWestbound exit only; eastbound entrance via 6th Street; access to Busch Stadium
40.36964.96840C I-55 south / I-44 west – Memphis, TulsaWestern terminus of concurrency with I-55; westbound exit and eastbound entrance
40.40765.02940
I-44 east to I-70 west / Walnut Street – Kansas City
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; Access to St. Louis Lambert International Airport
Mississippi River40.81765.689Poplar Street Bridge

I-55 north / I-64 east / US 40 east to I-70 east – Illinois
Continuation into Illinois
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Concurrency terminus
  •       Incomplete access

See also[]

  • Blank shield.svg U.S. Roads portal

References[]

  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 2020-03-06.
  8. ^ O'Malley, Beth. "Those soon-to-close Highway 40 ramps are remnants of a never-built north-south highway". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  9. ^ "This week on Highway 40". St. Louis Post Dispatch. August 20, 2007. pp. C3. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

External links[]

Route map:

KML is from Wikidata
Interstate 64
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