ST. LOUIS – Residents flocked to the Hancock School District Central Office in Lemay Thursday evening to learn about and provide feedback on a multi-year MoDOT project to resurface Route 231 while making sidewalks ADA-compliant and upgrading signals.
“I’m really proud of the citizens to take time out of their busy schedule to give us input,” said Tom Blair, MoDOT District Engineer.
The roadway was the site of a fatal crash just a week ago when a 73-year-old woman went airborne in her car, slamming into a home. MoDOT statistics show there are 25 crashes on the roadway each year, which is three times the state average on similar roads.
“If there’s one thing I heard so far, is the fact that there seems to be a consensus we need to slow vehicles down on this route,” Blair said.
The project stretches from the St. Louis City limits to just south of Franru Lane. A MoDOT study showed there’s excess space along the roadway between Kingston Drive and Broadway which encourages speed. The project also includes options to narrow the roads by adding designated parking spots and bike lanes to try and slow the flow of traffic. Options that have received mixed feedback from the public.
“There’s all kinds of bike trails throughout St. Louis County; we don’t need more bike lanes,” Robert Davis, a resident.
“We are pretty much up for anything that makes the road safer,” said John Newman with the St. Lukes United Methodist Church.
“Narrowing our streets down would cause more congestion,” said Cathy Ambruster.
The final design will be released by MoDOT late this fall, with construction set to begin in spring 2025. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2026.