O'Fallon residents and commuters should brace for significant traffic pattern changes as the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) has announced an upcoming closure. Starting August 11, the I-64 North Outer Road/Technology Drive bridge crossing Dardenne Creek will be shut down for replacement. MoDOT, in collaboration with the City of O'Fallon and Great Rivers Greenway, plans to keep the route closed through the end of 2025, weather permitting.
The closure is central to a larger regional initiative aimed at enhancing pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure. The project will see the addition of a 12-foot-wide shared use path facility that will stretch across the new bridge structure. This path, connecting to parking lots and existing trails, is a crucial step in improving the network all the way to Katy Trail, according to MoDOT. For MoDOT to construct the new bridge out of the floodplain, the elevation of the outer road will need to rise by 5-6 feet, precluding the possibility of temporary staging during construction that could permit traffic flow.
Instead, the plan necessitates a complete closure of the route to ensure the safety of the construction workers and to expedite the overall timeline of the project. Commuters who frequent North Outer Road/Technology Drive will be directed to a detour that employs I-64 between the Highway K and Winghaven interchanges, as detailed by MoDOT's recent announcement.
