ST. LOUIS - After three months of detours, drivers trying to get between Hanley and Eager roads will have a new connection to use starting Thursday. Officials with MoDOT, St. Louis County and the local cities of Brentwood and Richmond Heights will cut the ribbon Thursday morning at 11 a.m. and the new intersection will be open for motorists in the afternoon.

  The intersection was closed July 31 for the 90-day construction of the new connector loop, commonly referred to as a "jug handle."  This new connection eliminates the need for a signalized intersection at Hanley and Eager.  Instead, drivers will make right turns and use the new connector loop that goes under Hanley and becomes Eager Road.

MoDOT and its contractor, Gateway Constructors, partnered with St. Louis County to add this work to the I-64 contract.  The $5.8 million addition to the I-64 contract eliminates the need for St. Louis County to do this work in the future, which would have been more costly and created further detours and inconvenience for motorists.

"We are thrilled to work with St. Louis County to provide such a great improvement to the motorists on Hanley and Eager roads," said MoDOT St. Louis District Engineer Ed Hassinger.  "It's a win-win for everyone to get this done quickly and at much less cost than in the future."

Motorists should watch for construction crews completing the final striping and signing changes on Eager Road on Wednesday, October 28 and Thursday, October 29.  One lane will be closed on westbound Eager Road from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday.  Additional lane closures and shifts in the traffic will occur Thursday morning until the road is open with the new connection.

For information on how the new intersection works, please see the map on the I-64 website at www.thenewi64.org.

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