April 18, 2023 • 14 mins
Host BJ talks with MODOT i 270 North Project Manager about upcoming on ramp closures, new on ramp openings, lighting issues, new pavement, and projected construction completion date.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Heartfeat Saint Louis with a k Aholiday bringing you the pulse of the city.
Hey, what's up this boy?BJ? The dj ak a BJ
holiday And today on this show,we're gonna give you another update on the
two seventy North price project that's goingon in North County of frustrations, lot
(00:29):
of is Oh my god, andmy man, Eric, project manager,
always gracious to come in and talkwith me and take on my questions and
this kind of Uh, let everybodyknow what's going on. Eric, At
you doing, man, I'm doinggreat, BJ, Thanks for having me.
Hey, first day, first,the other day, Uh, what
(00:49):
was that Wednesday morning? Everybody wokeup got ready to get on the highway
right there at West floor said offa dune road. Didn't happen? And
I'm laughing because I was one ofthose people that kind of turned and went,
(01:10):
how do I get on the highway? So? How long is that
arm ramp is going to be closed? BJ? We closed that ramp on
Wednesday, and that that has aone month duration. So over the course
of a month we will be tearingout the old ramp and we've we've already
tore out the old ramp and we'llbe going through and repaving a nice new
(01:30):
smooth driving ramp. Um. Sothe detour for this closure for the folks
that have traveled through there is totravel on done road and get on just
past new floor. Since so we'vegot our traffic engineers that are still tweaking
this and trying to make it evenbetter for the folks that need to get
on westbound two seventy yea. Sonow another thing that I'm looking at Washington
(01:53):
Elizabeth exit as you're going west,it looked like you guys putting in a
new exit ramp for Washington Elizabeth.Look like it's a little further closer to
West Lawson. That's correct. Soas much as we could, we try
to build stuff offline and kind ofcoordinate this, and it didn't always work
out, as we've had a numberof closures, but for this location westbound
(02:15):
two seventy the exit ramp at WashingtonElizabeth, yes, we will in about
three weeks open this new ramp andthen close the old ramp location so drivers
can more easily get off the interstate. All right, and this is all
a part of being able to havethat them being able to get off the
highway and keep you know, keepon the gas a little bit till you
(02:37):
get before you get to the light. Doesn't have that exchange like it used
to. Like it like like itdoes well like it used to before we
made it. One way, that'scorrect. All of the ramps, we
get ask a lot why we're changingsome of the ramps or closing some of
the ramps, but a lot ofthis is driven from safety. So these
ramps are all be a little bitlonger and easier to navigate and much more
(03:00):
safe. So that's the driver forwhy we did what we did at a
lot of these locations. Okay,So okay, so uh you said that
I'll open up in about three weeks, correct, and about three weeks,
and we'll get notification through some ofthe big boards that are out there on
the site. And then also ifanyone wants information, we'll do an email
blast for this oppress release. Butwe have a website where people can sign
(03:23):
up and drivers can kind of getnotified. We send an email out about
every other week for any big projectchanges. So now coming back towards new
Halls Ferry, Uh, you guysare putting up a new bridge over there.
How long it is how've what's theestimated time to have that new bridge
(03:44):
up, and then you guys aregoing to be turned down another portion of
the bridge, the bridge that's kindof north of that, I do believe,
So do you have an etay hey, when all of that's going to
happen. Yes, the two seventybridge over New Hall's Ferry. This is
our most complicated bridge we built withthe project, and we're currently in stage
two. So our last stage willstart around June first and we'll do a
(04:08):
weekend demo where we demo the lastsegment of the bridge and then we'll rebuild
that. But the ultimate bridge construction, we're still on schedule to kind of
have that complete late August and we'llbe completely done with that bridge construction.
And this bridge will be a nice, new, beautiful bridge. But what
it will also allow us to dois what have dual turn lanes under there
(04:28):
and a nice sidewalk that people canwalk on both sides of the road as
well. So there's a little bitof pain through here as everyone's got to
drive through there and deal with theconstruction, but we really hope the long
term gain is is something that everybodyis you know, proud of and welcomes.
Well, anyway, you made mean offer, and that's the reason
(04:49):
so concerned about that bridge. Righthe should have known I set him up
for this one, right see,because my birthday was in January and they
tore down a section of that bridge, and for my birthday I was going
to be able to go up andtake the crane and be the first you
know, you know, the firstboom, you know, the knock the
(05:12):
bridge now and then the weather messedit upside to go out of town the
next weekend, so they moved intothat weekend out and get to do it.
So I'm kind of still one mybirthday give so when you said June
around June first, right, I'mgonna be in town then. So as
the office still stand, Eric,I just want to know, dear Kenny,
kind of come up and just youknow, put a hard head on,
(05:34):
kind of operate the crane. Youknow, boom, you know,
can can I can? I can? I kind of you know, it
was the off off the table.Now the offer still stands. We're happy
to have you out to come beout there for the night with the night
crew. Um, but this willbe our last bridge demo. For the
project. So well, we'll bein touch as we get closer. I
get to do the last the lastone anyway, all right? Cool?
(05:59):
Now, Um, as we're goingup Halls Ferry, we turned off a
new Holli Ferry well on' done road. We want to get on a highway
because you can get on a highwaythere now, Um hearing that in about
a month, so you guys aregoing to close that down, that's correct?
Yes, okay, So what's goingto be happening there there? So
(06:21):
during that closure, it will bea temporary closure for for three months,
and that allow us to build acouple of walls and build a new entrance
ramp for the Halls Ferry location.But during that closure, the detour will
be to go up to West Forestand get on at the new West Forest
ramp that we're currently constructing today.But that will just be a closure to
(06:42):
to really build that new ramp intobetter, safer, longer distance that individuals
getting on the interstate have a longertime to get over and emerge. Yeah,
yeah, because right now it's kindof quick, you know what I
mean. You know the tipporary wayyou guys got because you had to you
had to close down to West Floydsonramp so on the south side of the
(07:05):
street right which is Pearshaw, Sothat that seems to be running pretty good.
Man. It seems like you guysgot that going pretty good, man,
you know what I mean. Imean, I used that a lot,
but it seems to be going prettygood up there. And then I
knew you still got some stuff yougotta do in between West Floydson and New
(07:27):
Hall's Ferry and well from Washington Elizabethbecause you got that little round about there,
that type of thing. So myquestion is, I know that's going
pretty good, but when will theactual new lanes be opened on the eastbound
side of two seventy When you whenyou come off of one and seventy you
(07:50):
got all that new new lanes overthere, you have to merge over because
of the cones. When of youguys planning to have those those actual lanes
open. So a first to startoff by saying, the overall project,
we're still on schedule to be completeby December of this year, so we've
got a lot of work to dobetween now and then. We've got about
sixty five million dollars worth of improvementsto make so a lot of that's the
(08:13):
final touches in the details through there. But starting around June, early June
mid June, we'll start to repairthe barrier wall, so we'll be shifting
and starting to utilize that fourth laneboth east and westbound, and we're going
to replace the medium barrier that separateseast and westbound. We're going to completely
remove that and replace that, anda lot of that's going to happen under
live traffic and we'll make sure it'sdone safely and everybody can keep traveling with
(08:39):
three lanes during the peak travel times, but we will be replacing that medium
barrier. And then in early Julyto mid July, we'll start replacing the
asphalt on the Interstate. And nowa lot of that work will happen at
night, so we'll we'll be havinga lot of kind of lane configurations and
shifts and lane drops as we dothat work on the Interstate. So we
(09:01):
ask everybody that as you're traveling inthe day, as you're traveling in night,
please slow down and give her cruisesafe room to work. And we
want to get this work done asquickly and as high quality as possible to
get these improvements done. All right, Well that's good to know, man.
I'm loving the idea that you guysare going to be, uh,
you know, putting some new asphaltup there, because right now I get
(09:22):
confused on which lane. I mean, you know, I'm all over the
place. I'm like, Okay,this the lane and that de laye.
But you guys have been doing anamazing job. And thank you because this
is one of the things that Italked to you about earlier. I make
feel one that you guys repaint thoselines. You know, as you're you're
shifting lanes, you're constantly going backand make sure they're really visible. So
(09:43):
thank you guys for that other thing. Lights on the highway. Everybody's talking
about the highway dark So are wegoing to improve the lighting up there?
How does that work? Yeah,b J. The waiting will get better.
We're working closely with our utility partnersand we've got a number of those.
(10:05):
But on the entrance and exit rampswe will have lights at those locations,
and also our crossover bridges that goeither over or under the interstate will
also have some lighting features there.The challenge we're running into is coordinating those
lights to get up and running issometimes challenging, and so we're working with
those third parties to as quickly aspossible get additional lights throughout the area so
(10:31):
it's easier to get on and offthe interstate. Yeah, we need that,
you know, we definitely need that. We got to have those lights
because just like now, you know, when you're trying to get off the
exit and the life right there,you don't even know you know where the
lane start, where it ends,what you're knowing, So we we I
don't know who the people are,but go, y'all, I need to
(10:54):
get them life. Y'all need toy'all need to do something bout them life
real. I'm just gonna keep real. You know, you just just need
to get get them lights up down. I don't know who who it is,
but y'all need to know. Weneed the lights. Okay. Anyway,
I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna leave itright there. Anyway, anyway,
back to the regularly scheduled program anyway. UM, so the project is going
(11:16):
to be done in December. Soright now, the exit ramp to i
mean the the well the arm rampto get off of U Done Road or
onto. Um, um to getonto two seventy west right past west floors,
and that's gonna stay closed for aboutanother month, right, and then
(11:41):
they were to open up, gota new ramp to get on. Once
you guys do that, you're gonnaclose the arm ramp from uh as you
turn off old a New Haws Ferryto go up to get on right there,
every body, New Halls Ferry.That's gonna close for ninety days and
people will have to get on pathswest Floris and when the new ramp reopened.
(12:03):
UM. Any other closures that wegot going on other than lane closures
at night when you guys do thebridge over New Hall's Ferry, any other
closures, Uh, that's going tobe happening. That's all the scheduled,
you know, major closures we havePJ. Everything else will will predominantly be
doing in the day or at night, off peak hours, so you know,
(12:24):
as folks try to get to workon time or come home, we're
gonna try to limit those as muchas possible. Right now, you guys
are what type of that that mediumthat separates eastbound and westbound, what type
of median there's going up? There'slike a high wall or a low wall
or what what are The new medianthat's going to separate eastbound and westbound traffic
(12:46):
will be taller, so it's goingto be about a foot taller, and
it'll be brand new concrete, soit'll be stronger and more durable and higher
quality. The median wall that wecurrently have in place, it's been around
since the early sixties when the roadwas originally constructed, and it's just not
holding up like we quite hoped whenyou know, semis and other vehicles you
(13:07):
know, have to run into it. So that the new wall will be
much more safe and much more durableto a higher quality. Yeah, and
plus you know, with the wallbeing a little bit higher, it will
stop you from getting at those thoseuh because you know all these cars come
with these LED lights now, sowhen you're going down the highway and you
know a car coming coming the oppositeway, I'm like to really bright.
(13:30):
So I know, because I havea truck with LED lights, that's it
up high, I'm gonna get Yeah, i'd be blind and people I do
know. I'm just saying. Butanyway, Eric, people want to get
more information, where can they go? Yes, if you would like any
additional information about the detours or justproject information in general. We have a
project website. It's two seventy northdot org and on there we have a
(13:52):
sign up sheet if you want tosign up and get an email from us
on upcoming impacts or closures, andthen there's also contact information if you'd like
to speak to me or one ofour project team members. We're happy to
address any concerns or questions you mayhave. Alrighty, Hi Eric, thank
you so much for coming in Man, appreciate it all right. Thanks BJ.
This has been another edition of HeartbeatSaint Louis with BJ the DJ a
(14:18):
K a BJ Holiday, bringing youthe pulse of the city.
Heartfeat Saint Louis with a k Aholiday bringing you the pulse of the city.
Hey, what's up this boy?BJ? The dj ak a BJ
holiday And today on this show,we're gonna give you another update on the
two seventy North price project that's goingon in North County of frustrations, lot
(00:29):
of is Oh my god, andmy man, Eric, project manager,
always gracious to come in and talkwith me and take on my questions and
this kind of Uh, let everybodyknow what's going on. Eric, At
you doing, man, I'm doinggreat, BJ, Thanks for having me.
Hey, first day, first,the other day, Uh, what
(00:49):
was that Wednesday morning? Everybody wokeup got ready to get on the highway
right there at West floor said offa dune road. Didn't happen? And
I'm laughing because I was one ofthose people that kind of turned and went,
(01:10):
how do I get on the highway? So? How long is that
arm ramp is going to be closed? BJ? We closed that ramp on
Wednesday, and that that has aone month duration. So over the course
of a month we will be tearingout the old ramp and we've we've already
tore out the old ramp and we'llbe going through and repaving a nice new
(01:30):
smooth driving ramp. Um. Sothe detour for this closure for the folks
that have traveled through there is totravel on done road and get on just
past new floor. Since so we'vegot our traffic engineers that are still tweaking
this and trying to make it evenbetter for the folks that need to get
on westbound two seventy yea. Sonow another thing that I'm looking at Washington
(01:53):
Elizabeth exit as you're going west,it looked like you guys putting in a
new exit ramp for Washington Elizabeth.Look like it's a little further closer to
West Lawson. That's correct. Soas much as we could, we try
to build stuff offline and kind ofcoordinate this, and it didn't always work
out, as we've had a numberof closures, but for this location westbound
(02:15):
two seventy the exit ramp at WashingtonElizabeth, yes, we will in about
three weeks open this new ramp andthen close the old ramp location so drivers
can more easily get off the interstate. All right, and this is all
a part of being able to havethat them being able to get off the
highway and keep you know, keepon the gas a little bit till you
(02:37):
get before you get to the light. Doesn't have that exchange like it used
to. Like it like like itdoes well like it used to before we
made it. One way, that'scorrect. All of the ramps, we
get ask a lot why we're changingsome of the ramps or closing some of
the ramps, but a lot ofthis is driven from safety. So these
ramps are all be a little bitlonger and easier to navigate and much more
(03:00):
safe. So that's the driver forwhy we did what we did at a
lot of these locations. Okay,So okay, so uh you said that
I'll open up in about three weeks, correct, and about three weeks,
and we'll get notification through some ofthe big boards that are out there on
the site. And then also ifanyone wants information, we'll do an email
blast for this oppress release. Butwe have a website where people can sign
(03:23):
up and drivers can kind of getnotified. We send an email out about
every other week for any big projectchanges. So now coming back towards new
Halls Ferry, Uh, you guysare putting up a new bridge over there.
How long it is how've what's theestimated time to have that new bridge
(03:44):
up, and then you guys aregoing to be turned down another portion of
the bridge, the bridge that's kindof north of that, I do believe,
So do you have an etay hey, when all of that's going to
happen. Yes, the two seventybridge over New Hall's Ferry. This is
our most complicated bridge we built withthe project, and we're currently in stage
two. So our last stage willstart around June first and we'll do a
(04:08):
weekend demo where we demo the lastsegment of the bridge and then we'll rebuild
that. But the ultimate bridge construction, we're still on schedule to kind of
have that complete late August and we'llbe completely done with that bridge construction.
And this bridge will be a nice, new, beautiful bridge. But what
it will also allow us to dois what have dual turn lanes under there
(04:28):
and a nice sidewalk that people canwalk on both sides of the road as
well. So there's a little bitof pain through here as everyone's got to
drive through there and deal with theconstruction, but we really hope the long
term gain is is something that everybodyis you know, proud of and welcomes.
Well, anyway, you made mean offer, and that's the reason
(04:49):
so concerned about that bridge. Righthe should have known I set him up
for this one, right see,because my birthday was in January and they
tore down a section of that bridge, and for my birthday I was going
to be able to go up andtake the crane and be the first you
know, you know, the firstboom, you know, the knock the
(05:12):
bridge now and then the weather messedit upside to go out of town the
next weekend, so they moved intothat weekend out and get to do it.
So I'm kind of still one mybirthday give so when you said June
around June first, right, I'mgonna be in town then. So as
the office still stand, Eric,I just want to know, dear Kenny,
kind of come up and just youknow, put a hard head on,
(05:34):
kind of operate the crane. Youknow, boom, you know,
can can I can? I can? I kind of you know, it
was the off off the table.Now the offer still stands. We're happy
to have you out to come beout there for the night with the night
crew. Um, but this willbe our last bridge demo. For the
project. So well, we'll bein touch as we get closer. I
get to do the last the lastone anyway, all right? Cool?
(05:59):
Now, Um, as we're goingup Halls Ferry, we turned off a
new Holli Ferry well on' done road. We want to get on a highway
because you can get on a highwaythere now, Um hearing that in about
a month, so you guys aregoing to close that down, that's correct?
Yes, okay, So what's goingto be happening there there? So
(06:21):
during that closure, it will bea temporary closure for for three months,
and that allow us to build acouple of walls and build a new entrance
ramp for the Halls Ferry location.But during that closure, the detour will
be to go up to West Forestand get on at the new West Forest
ramp that we're currently constructing today.But that will just be a closure to
(06:42):
to really build that new ramp intobetter, safer, longer distance that individuals
getting on the interstate have a longertime to get over and emerge. Yeah,
yeah, because right now it's kindof quick, you know what I
mean. You know the tipporary wayyou guys got because you had to you
had to close down to West Floydsonramp so on the south side of the
(07:05):
street right which is Pearshaw, Sothat that seems to be running pretty good.
Man. It seems like you guysgot that going pretty good, man,
you know what I mean. Imean, I used that a lot,
but it seems to be going prettygood up there. And then I
knew you still got some stuff yougotta do in between West Floydson and New
(07:27):
Hall's Ferry and well from Washington Elizabethbecause you got that little round about there,
that type of thing. So myquestion is, I know that's going
pretty good, but when will theactual new lanes be opened on the eastbound
side of two seventy When you whenyou come off of one and seventy you
(07:50):
got all that new new lanes overthere, you have to merge over because
of the cones. When of youguys planning to have those those actual lanes
open. So a first to startoff by saying, the overall project,
we're still on schedule to be completeby December of this year, so we've
got a lot of work to dobetween now and then. We've got about
sixty five million dollars worth of improvementsto make so a lot of that's the
(08:13):
final touches in the details through there. But starting around June, early June
mid June, we'll start to repairthe barrier wall, so we'll be shifting
and starting to utilize that fourth laneboth east and westbound, and we're going
to replace the medium barrier that separateseast and westbound. We're going to completely
remove that and replace that, anda lot of that's going to happen under
live traffic and we'll make sure it'sdone safely and everybody can keep traveling with
(08:39):
three lanes during the peak travel times, but we will be replacing that medium
barrier. And then in early Julyto mid July, we'll start replacing the
asphalt on the Interstate. And nowa lot of that work will happen at
night, so we'll we'll be havinga lot of kind of lane configurations and
shifts and lane drops as we dothat work on the Interstate. So we
(09:01):
ask everybody that as you're traveling inthe day, as you're traveling in night,
please slow down and give her cruisesafe room to work. And we
want to get this work done asquickly and as high quality as possible to
get these improvements done. All right, Well that's good to know, man.
I'm loving the idea that you guysare going to be, uh,
you know, putting some new asphaltup there, because right now I get
(09:22):
confused on which lane. I mean, you know, I'm all over the
place. I'm like, Okay,this the lane and that de laye.
But you guys have been doing anamazing job. And thank you because this
is one of the things that Italked to you about earlier. I make
feel one that you guys repaint thoselines. You know, as you're you're
shifting lanes, you're constantly going backand make sure they're really visible. So
(09:43):
thank you guys for that other thing. Lights on the highway. Everybody's talking
about the highway dark So are wegoing to improve the lighting up there?
How does that work? Yeah,b J. The waiting will get better.
We're working closely with our utility partnersand we've got a number of those.
(10:05):
But on the entrance and exit rampswe will have lights at those locations,
and also our crossover bridges that goeither over or under the interstate will
also have some lighting features there.The challenge we're running into is coordinating those
lights to get up and running issometimes challenging, and so we're working with
those third parties to as quickly aspossible get additional lights throughout the area so
(10:31):
it's easier to get on and offthe interstate. Yeah, we need that,
you know, we definitely need that. We got to have those lights
because just like now, you know, when you're trying to get off the
exit and the life right there,you don't even know you know where the
lane start, where it ends,what you're knowing, So we we I
don't know who the people are,but go, y'all, I need to
(10:54):
get them life. Y'all need toy'all need to do something bout them life
real. I'm just gonna keep real. You know, you just just need
to get get them lights up down. I don't know who who it is,
but y'all need to know. Weneed the lights. Okay. Anyway,
I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna leave itright there. Anyway, anyway,
back to the regularly scheduled program anyway. UM, so the project is going
(11:16):
to be done in December. Soright now, the exit ramp to i
mean the the well the arm rampto get off of U Done Road or
onto. Um, um to getonto two seventy west right past west floors,
and that's gonna stay closed for aboutanother month, right, and then
(11:41):
they were to open up, gota new ramp to get on. Once
you guys do that, you're gonnaclose the arm ramp from uh as you
turn off old a New Haws Ferryto go up to get on right there,
every body, New Halls Ferry.That's gonna close for ninety days and
people will have to get on pathswest Floris and when the new ramp reopened.
(12:03):
UM. Any other closures that wegot going on other than lane closures
at night when you guys do thebridge over New Hall's Ferry, any other
closures, Uh, that's going tobe happening. That's all the scheduled,
you know, major closures we havePJ. Everything else will will predominantly be
doing in the day or at night, off peak hours, so you know,
(12:24):
as folks try to get to workon time or come home, we're
gonna try to limit those as muchas possible. Right now, you guys
are what type of that that mediumthat separates eastbound and westbound, what type
of median there's going up? There'slike a high wall or a low wall
or what what are The new medianthat's going to separate eastbound and westbound traffic
(12:46):
will be taller, so it's goingto be about a foot taller, and
it'll be brand new concrete, soit'll be stronger and more durable and higher
quality. The median wall that wecurrently have in place, it's been around
since the early sixties when the roadwas originally constructed, and it's just not
holding up like we quite hoped whenyou know, semis and other vehicles you
(13:07):
know, have to run into it. So that the new wall will be
much more safe and much more durableto a higher quality. Yeah, and
plus you know, with the wallbeing a little bit higher, it will
stop you from getting at those thoseuh because you know all these cars come
with these LED lights now, sowhen you're going down the highway and you
know a car coming coming the oppositeway, I'm like to really bright.
(13:30):
So I know, because I havea truck with LED lights, that's it
up high, I'm gonna get Yeah, i'd be blind and people I do
know. I'm just saying. Butanyway, Eric, people want to get
more information, where can they go? Yes, if you would like any
additional information about the detours or justproject information in general. We have a
project website. It's two seventy northdot org and on there we have a
(13:52):
sign up sheet if you want tosign up and get an email from us
on upcoming impacts or closures, andthen there's also contact information if you'd like
to speak to me or one ofour project team members. We're happy to
address any concerns or questions you mayhave. Alrighty, Hi Eric, thank
you so much for coming in Man, appreciate it all right. Thanks BJ.
This has been another edition of HeartbeatSaint Louis with BJ the DJ a
(14:18):
K a BJ Holiday, bringing youthe pulse of the city.
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