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Ask the Patch Pro: MoDOT Answers Your Questions

MoDOT expert Linda Wilson Horn is waiting in the comments to answer your traffic and road questions in the latest installment of Ask the Patch Pro.

 

It's time for another edition of Ask the Patch Pro, where each week we tackle a different topic and open up the comments section for questions. Our team of experts stop in to help you out and answer your questions.

This week, Patch teamed up with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to answer your road, construction and traffic questions. 

MoDOT Community Relations Coordinator Linda Wilson Horn has agreed to help us out this week. 

Got a question? Ask below!

Related Topics: Ask The Patch Pro, Bridges, Construction, MoDOT, Roads, and Traffic

Christine Hartwig

7:05 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Why is the right lane of north bound 141 closed as you approach the Olive exit?

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Linda Wilson Horn

12:59 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

The construction crews are completing the grading, seeding and landscaping in the southeast corner of the new 141 and Olive interchange. The right lane is closed for the trucks to go in and out of the work area.

B & K

8:19 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Now that the Best Buy in Ellisville is closed, why is the traffic signal there still operational? It is only serving a car dealer and a tile shop. Do we really need a signal there???

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Linda Wilson Horn

1:25 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Even though the Best Buy is closed, the signal is still serving other businesses and potentially there could be a business in Best Buy in the future. The signals on Manchester are all timed so they work together so if traffic is light turning out of those businesses, the delay at that light should be miminal.

Colin Butterfield

8:34 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Why does the north side of the McKnight at Delmar intersection still have temporary lane markers 2 years after the Delmar/I-170 bridge was completed?

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Linda Wilson Horn

1:11 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

MODOT's project is complete, but there is a trail project going through this same intersection. It is being done by Great Rivers Greenway using an old railroad line. I believe they are restriping the intersection with that project.

Andy Glassberg

8:39 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

The painted stop line for where cars should stop on northbound Price Road at Olive is not in a good location. The line for the left turn only lane should be set further back, as is common at many intersections.

The current stop line makes the heavily used left turn from westbound Olive onto southbound Price dangerous. This is because Price jogs slightly to the west at that point, making the turn from Olive onto Price more acute. Traffic would flow more smoothly if the left turn lane on Price were set back.

If you have any doubts about this, take a look at the intersection at a time when there isn't any traffic waiting to make the left off of Price. You'll see that cars turning off of Olive onto Price make the turn in a "normal" way and invariably cut across the northbound left turn lane.

This is simple to fix and would make traffic flow more smoothly.

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Linda Wilson Horn

1:41 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

I checked with our engineers for this area. The stop bars on Price at Olive are already set back pretty far. You are right there is a skew to the intersection, but they don't feel they can set these back any farther. If you set a stop bar too far back, people won't stop there because they would feel they are too far out of the intersection. I understand your point about helping the left turns from Olive go faster, but we have to balance everything.

C Howard

9:11 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

There is a parcel of land on the east side of Hwy 141, between 141 and Parkway South Middle South School's property (just south of Dutch Mill). It has no tax ID number. Who owns this parcel of land? Is it a MODOT Right of Way? Or, has it been given to the Parkway School District? I have emailed MODOT concerning this ownership, but have not received an answer.

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Linda Wilson Horn

1:41 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

I checked with our Right of Way department and they did receive your request late last week. They are checking into the property ownership and will get you an answer as soon as possible.

Brenda Christmas Marlowe

9:21 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

I want to thank MODOT for adjusting the traffic signals on Page to accommodate the additional traffic since the I-70 bridge construction project began. It is so much better now in the morning going east than it was prior to the start of the project.

Will you keep these settings after the I-70 bridge construction is completed?

I would hate to revert back to the nightmare that existed before. These adjustments should have been made a long time ago. There was no flow: traffic eastbound on Page would get caught at a minimum of 5-6 lights going east between I-270 and I-170 as they weren't timed to keep the traffic flowing, starting with the light at Schuetz.

Thanks!

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Linda Wilson Horn

1:13 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

We don't have any plans to change the signals back. Typically our engineers are regularly monitoring signal timing and making adjustments as traffic patterns change. The opening of a new section of Page and the new 141 this summer, along with the work on I-70 at Blanchette Bridge, have really increased traffic on Page. We will keep the lights as they are and keeping watching them for changes.

Jim W

9:55 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Can the surface of westbound Manchester Rd. over 270 be milled to eliminate the washboard surface that has been there since it was constructed. It appeared there was crack sealant added after construction that led to this roughness. Other highway pavement has been milled resulting in a smoother surface.

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Linda Wilson Horn

1:42 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

We currently don't have any plans to resurface this section of Manchester. I have asked our engineers to look into your concern and see what treatment may be needed.

Jim Frain

10:53 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Why does MODOT not maintain the grass cutting and maintenance in the MODOT right of way areas in O'Fallon, MO? The City of O'Fallon Mayor, Bill Hennessy says that it is MODOT's responsibility but the residents of O'Fallon are told by a majority of the city council to maintain these areas of MODOT's responsibity, subjecting themselves to dangerous traffic situations. What's the answer to your inability to maintain these areas, especially on HIghway K in O'Fallon, MO?

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Linda Wilson Horn

1:16 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

MoDOT has significantly cut back on its mowing since our budget has been cut in half in recent years. We only mow the full state property maybe once per year. I believe the issue is the city ordinance requires grass to be mowed more often than that. We mow for sight distance along the edges of the road at intersections, but otherwise we have a very limited mowing.

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Jim Frain

4:09 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Very disappointing and unacceptable answer from MODOT concerning their responsibility for maintaining the right of way mowing in O'Fallon, MO.

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Kalen Ponche

11:04 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

What's the best place for people to stand if they want to watch the detonation of the Blanchette Bridge on Sunday?

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Linda Wilson Horn

1:17 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Unfortunately, this Sunday's blast of the Blanchette Bridge is not very easy to see. The section of the bridge is right next to the Ameristar Casino so it is blocked for almost every view except the St Louis County side. We will have a second blast in early December and it will be very visible from Frontier Park in ST Charles. I would recommend watching Sunday's blast on TV and watching the section blast from the riverfront park.

Tom D

11:30 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

My question is: If I'm driving on a 4 lane road, 2 in each direction and a yellow school bus stops and extends it's "stop" sign, which drivers are responsible for obeying the stop sign?

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Linda Wilson Horn

1:51 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

According to the Missouri Driver's Manual, you do not need to stop for a school bus on a four-lane road if you are traveling in the opposite direction of the school bus. Only the vehicles behind the bus must stop. School buses are not allowed to drop off children on a four-lane road if the children would have to cross all four lanes. That is why the opposing traffic does not have to stop. I would add that whenever you see a school bus stop, it's good to slow down some and be extra cautious with children present.

Diva Rita

11:57 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

When will the road project at Wellington Avenue and Wabash be completed?

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Linda Wilson Horn

2:22 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

I don't know where this project is. Can you be more specific on the location in terms of what city this is in? It might not be a state project?

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Diva Rita

11:43 am on Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The project, not sure if it is a road or bridge, borders the city of St. Louis and the city of Maplewood; just south of Hwy 44 and Arsenal Street.

MikeyParks

1:52 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Are there any plans to make the left turn lane onto Hilltop from eastbound Olive a left turn yield to oncoming traffic? Currently, when the eastbound Olive light is green, you sit in the left turn lane unable to turn until a left turn arrow comes on. Why not a flashing yellow arrow or a left turn yield to oncoming traffic when the light is green?

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Linda Wilson Horn

2:26 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

We don't allow a yielding left at Olive and Hilltop because you would be turning left across three lanes of opposing traffic. So the left turns can only go on a left arrow. It is not considered safe to yield across three lanes

Roger

2:23 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

On highway 30 many of the interchanges are being redone. Which ones are still going to be updated? Any between 270 and northwest ?

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Linda Wilson Horn

2:55 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Route 30 at Dillon, Caroline and Delores will have the striping finished and open sometime tomorrow. These are the last three to be updated. We will have work to put in guardrail later, but that's it.

Kelly Cousins

2:37 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

This is a two part question: 1. Why are large 18 wheelers and commercial trucks allowed to use Blackforest as a major thoroughfare? Kids play along this road and it's dangerous. 2. Since this is the case the road looks terrible. When will it get repaired?

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Linda Wilson Horn

2:46 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

I don't know who is responsible for Blackforest Drive, but it is not a state road. If it is a public street, I don't know that you can prohibit commercial trucks as people need deliveries to their homes too. It looks like it could be a St Louis County road based on the location in South County. I would recommend you check with them on the maintenance and limiting trucks

R. Kemp

2:46 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Who would be in control of turning lanes into shopping centers? I have witnessed very close calls with other drivers at 141 left turn lane leading into the big Costco parking lot. Its a 2 lane left turn off of 141 down to one lane. The sign to "one lane" is set at that point not before. I have had a upset man follow me into the parking lot because of this issue. I was in the left turning lane. He was in the left side of that turning lane. Can the sign be moved back closer to 141? Can the lane paint be redone? Thank you for this service.

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Linda Wilson Horn

3:16 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Once you turn into a private shopping center, all of the traffic control is their responsibility. My best recommendation would be to say something to the COSTCO Store Manager. Looking on the map it clearly looks like the two lanes merge into one but for some reason St Louis drivers have a lot of problem merging.

Linda Wilson Horn

3:57 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

thanks for the interesting questions today. I'm signing off for the day. Perhaps Patch will host this discussion again.

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Gregg Palermo

4:01 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Many thanks to Linda for answering all these questions!

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Jordan Lanham

4:02 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Thanks so much for participating in this week's Patch Pro Linda! We'd love to have you back sometime soon! :)

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Doris Borgelt

4:30 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

I know it is not your fault,Ms. Horn, but there was a thread posted to ask questions and I posted two of them and another person posted also. That thread was evidently abandoned, so none of those questions were answered. Why?

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Bryanna Hampton

4:31 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

Just read through the questions and answers -- thanks for contributing, Linda!

Doris Borgelt

4:14 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

The red light located on Jeffco in front of Rockport school in Arnold, flashes yellow most of the day everyday. At certain times of the school day, it just turns red! That is when people slam on their brakes or cruise right through it. Wouldn't it make more sense and be safer for it to flash green all day, then turn yellow for the appropriate amount of time before changing to red?

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Doris Borgelt

4:14 pm on Thursday, November 15, 2012

he traffic signal located on Jeffco and Tenbrook Rd. across from Fox Campus in Arnold has had many accidents west bound from Tenbrook or eastbound from campus resulting from left hand turns. There are left turn arrows for north and south bound lanes on Jeffco. It seems it would be much safer to install left turn signals for the lights directing traffic east and westbound. This problem has remained unaddressed for many years, what can be done to alleviate it?

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Timbrr

2:25 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012

I have had a concern; The west bound lanes on hwy 370, aproaching the 370 bridge over the Missouri River, between Earth City Expressway and the Bridge, need to be restriped. The existing striping is faded and the existing striping that was removed, by scraping/grinding it off, still appears like its a lane marking, with the sun in the evening, shining on it, like its a current lane marking line, very confusing seeing whats what, especially at evening rush hour, with the sun at a lower angle shining accross it from the west. I think it needs to be restriped, or have more contrast/color against the light color of the concrete pavement there. I know it has been restriped several times in the past for different projects/reasons, but I think someone from MoDot, should drive it several times during rush hours/ sun setting times, to see what I mean. Also some of those pavement mounted, lane marking, reflectors, would really help folks see those lanes at night, and at night in the rain too. This would make it a lot safer for everyone, like my self, that use this hwy daily. Thanks for your concideration on this matter, Tim Griffith.

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Ashly

4:00 pm on Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Would MoDOT PLEASE considfer adding a larger shoulder or sidewalk from the entrance of the Marisol subdivision (located on W) to the intersection of W and 109. It would be less than a 1/2 mile stretch. My concern is for the residents of Marisol who jog or ride a bike from the subdivison into the town of Eureka where they are able to access a trail. W is such a dangerous road to begin with, plus it would be nice to not have to jump into weeds every time a car drove past. Any information or suggestion on how we can make this happen would be appreciated! Thank you for your consideration.

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