Midtown St. Louis is holding onto a key highway escape route a little longer. In late April 2026, the Missouri Department of Transportation said it will not remove the Compton Avenue ramp to westbound I-64, reversing an earlier proposal and giving nearby businesses the outcome they had been pressing for.
St. Louis Magazine reported that the announcement followed months of pushback from restaurant and venue owners who feared losing the Compton ramp would shove even more cars onto Grand and Forest Park Avenue and strand customers after big events. Some urbanists had countered that tearing out the ramp could boost walkability, but Midtown leaders told the outlet the reversal feels like a clear win for neighborhood businesses.
The Missouri Department of Transportation's Future 64 project page confirms that "the Compton ramp to westbound I-64 will not be removed as a part of this project," while also warning that the existing westbound ramps "will not serve this area well beyond 2035." The Missouri Department of Transportation says planning work will continue and promises more public engagement before any long-term changes are locked in.
Bike and pedestrian upgrades
Even with the Compton exit staying put for now, MoDOT says the coming work will reshape how people move through the corridor without a car. Plans call for wider sidewalks and a two-way bike crossing on the Compton bridge, and Great Rivers Greenway will build a Brickline Greenway segment on the north side of the interchange to better tie Grand and Compton together. Great Rivers Greenway's project pages show Market Street and other nearby segments under construction in 2026 and describe new shared-use paths that will fold directly into the Future 64 improvements.
Timeline and detours
MoDOT's April 30, 2026 fact sheet lays out a construction window that starts in summer 2027, with eastbound I-64 closed to traffic roughly from fall 2027 through fall 2028 while the eastbound bridge is replaced. The same document from the Missouri Department of Transportation shows the Bernard/Market eastbound exit will be closed permanently, and a new roundabout and ramp realignments at Grand will handle eastbound access once the dust settles.
Business reaction
For now, Midtown business owners are relieved the Compton exit survives this round. Restaurateur Danni Eickenhorst told reporters she was "relieved and grateful that MoDOT listened to us and saved our exit," and other owners said they are already bracing for the traffic headaches that will come when state and city construction projects overlap. St. Louis Magazine reports that business leaders are asking for clear detour signage and tightly coordinated traffic plans so customers can still find their way back to Locust and Olive during the multi-year buildout.
What to watch next: upcoming public meetings, final design boards, and construction schedules as MoDOT and its partners refine the Grand interchange and the Brickline connectors. Project documents and timelines are being posted by the Future 64 team and Great Rivers Greenway, and residents and business owners are being urged to track those materials and the public meeting calendar for detour details and construction updates.
