Construction of the new “Lid” over I-44 in front of the Arch resulted in back-ups on the approaches to the Poplar Street Bridge on July 12. What a terrible design.
A Blog detailing the beauty of St. Louis architecture and the buildup of residue-or character-that accumulates over the course of time.
The backup was a terrible design or the lid?
The idea of using interstates as the primary, default means of transportation in America. I am indifferent to the Lid, but it is a step in the right direction to fix the problem of slashing a river of concrete through the heart of the city.
The lid seems like a good idea to me. Do you disagree?
Closing I70 through downtown is a better idea, for so many different reasons. The primary one being that it would eliminate a dangerous transition point for pedestrians, and opens up more land for development. In addition, it would connect DT and the riverfront much better than the “lid”, which only aids a one-block section of Memorial/I70. The depressed section and the viaduct/overpass North are tremendous psychological barriers.
Frankly, I think any plans for the riverfront which don’t include the full elimination of I70 through there will result in failure, or at best the continuation of the current moribund state now in place. It should come as no surprise that after nearly forty years of trying to get the engines running on Laclede’s Landing and the riverfront in general, the best we can say about the riverfront is that it still has some old buildings from the day it was a major commercial area. Just look at an aerial map of the Landing and north. Lots more vacant lots than there were in the seventies.
Agreed.
What was the reason for not getting rid of I-70 through downtown altogether, or at least making the “lid” bigger? Was it money? If the “lid” is a success, would it be able to be extended in the future?
I assume it was largely a budgetary reason for not making the lid larger. Also, people are convinced (despite incredibly low traffic counts admitted by MoDoT) that the world will end if an interstate is no longer there.