The Issue: Should the Missouri Department of Transportation spend $535 million dollars to rebuild a 10-mile stretch of I-64 (Highway 40)? Should the highway be completely shut down for two years during construction?
Background: Highway 40 is the most congested major roadway in the St. Louis area. Missouri transportation officials (MoDOT) say traffic is steadily increasing, and will only get worse as residents continue to move out of St. Louis City to the suburbs and St. Charles County. Regardless of future growth and needs, MoDOT argues that the current roadway has long been outdated, most specifically that it doesn't have enough lanes to handle the tremendous volume of cars that use the highway on a daily basis. To MoDOT, it's obvious that a massive overhaul is desperately needed, and has been for some time.
Arguments for the Project: Supporters of the Highway 40 project agree 100 percent with MoDOT's assessment and couldn't wait for the project to be funded and for work to begin. They see the project as not only addressing safety concerns and quality of life issues, but also as an investment in the region's appeal to conventions and businesses, and even its efforts to become a major hub for biotechnology.
They admit that shutting the highway down completely during construction will cause some headaches and be an inconvenience to thousands or commuters. However, they equate a complete shutdown with pulling a band-aid off quickly; the project will be finished faster, and ultimately be much less expensive.
And, the end result will justify the means. When the project is finally finished in 2010, it will be much easier and safer to get from downtown St. Louis to Clayton, Chesterfield and other suburbs. The expanded capacity will also potentially ease traffic on other major by-ways, such as I-70.
Arguments Against the Project: Opponents argue that Highway 40 doesn't really need major improvements, but if improvements are going to be made, MoDOT is actually not going far enough. Even at its worst, proponents argue, traffic in St. Louis is nothing compared to what drivers face in Atlanta, Los Angeles or New York. Until our time spent in traffic approaches a fraction of what those cities face, it's not worth the $535 million dollar price tag to save a few minutes each day stuck in traffic.
Moreover, our dollars don't seem to be going very far. In many areas along the 10-mile stretch, the plan is to add one additional lane. Opponents argue that the additional lane will only buy us a couple of years of reduced traffic, and then we'll have to go through this process all over again.
Opponents add that an additional lane may help briefly, but it will actually encourage more urban sprawl as it becomes easier for people to live in outer suburbs. This will in-turn create more traffic, as well as adversely affect the already poor air quality in the St. Louis region. Opponents also point to stats showing the much higher dollars per household spent on providing highways (etc.) to suburban homes versus those closer to the city.
Finally, many businesses in the construction area, or simply served by I-64, have serious concerns about losing customers and having difficulties retaining good employees. Business and tourist organizations, especially, worry that national conventions and trade shows will bypass St. Louis during the two years that the highway is shut down, and may never look at St. Louis again.
Where it Stands: Minor work for the Highway 40 construction project is already underway. The first five mile stretch of the highway closed on January 2, 2008. But, if that shutdown causes too many problems, it is possible MoDOT could rethink its plans for the rest of the project. If all goes according to plan, the new and improved Highway 40 will be ready for traffic in 2010.
However, the larger issue of urban sprawl is just getting traction, and this construction project will likely cause many suburban households to consider buying a home closer to the city, or finding a job closer to home. The impact on the city could be much greater than the minor inconveniences described by MoDOT.
