A Richmond Heights resident wanted more explanation from the Missouri Department of Transportation about why sound walls are being removed along highway 64/40.
MoDOT announced Friday that lanes will be closed on I-64 after morning rush Friday, October 17 to remove sound wall panels along the interstate, MoDOT stated in a press release.
Up to two lanes on eastbound and westbound I-64 between Hampton and Hanley will be closed daily between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
MoDOT says crews noticed cracks in the posts holding the sound walls on several bridges, and the walls and posts are being removed as a safety precaution. Engineers will try to determine why the posts were cracking and determine solutions.
Richmond Heights resident Anthony Galli asked MoDOT for details about when, or if, the sound wall would be rebuilt.
“Many of the residents were there long before there was a highway in their back yards,” Galli said in an email. “It’s not acceptable to leave it more than a reasonable time to investigate the issue. Can you provide some input on when we can expect to see it back in place?”
MoDOT responded: “The problem with the sound wall posts was noticed initially two days ago. We are removing about 10 posts and 50 panels as a precautionary measure. They will be replaced, but we will need to determine the exact cause of the problem and determine a solution before we are able to do so. At this time, we have no estimated timeline on the extent of that investigation and the time to determine and implement a solution.”
I too have noticed the location of the problem sound panels – at the ends of the bridges. This concerns me when I drive under the bridges on Laclede Station and Claytonia because it seems possible that they could fall on the road below and possibly on passing motorists. This is more than a matter of suppressing highway noise.
Did you notice that all of the missing sound panels span the expansion joints on the bridges? Probably weren’t designed for the movement of the bridge structure as the weather changes.