|
Interstate 270 through North
St. Louis County is one of the oldest sections
of the interstate system in metropolitan St.
Louis. There are bridges that need to be repaired,
improvements that need to be made for safety
and economic development reasons. The good
news is that the funding for a study to develop
the plans for making these improvements is
on the list of the top ten transportation
projects for the St. Louis area. The bad news
is that it is number 10 on the list and it
will take years before the funding actually
is available
The Missouri Transportation
Commission met in St. Louis last month and
North County, Incorporated made a presentation
about the need to advance the I-270 North
Corridor study further up on the list. We
thanked them for the recent transportation
investments that have been made in North St.
Louis County, including the improvements to
I-70 at Florissant Road, the reconfiguration
of the I-170/I-270 interchange, and the soon
to be completed rebuilding of Highway 367
north of I-270. Through the years, North County,
Inc., along with other North County groups,
was an advocate for these improvements. We
then presented several arguments for why the
I-270 North Corridor Study should rank higher
than it does. While East-West Gateway Council
of Governments makes the decision about which
projects get funded in which order, the Transportation
Commission appreciated the report on the impact
of the highway projects completed in North
St. Louis County and the need for the Corridor
Study.
In the coming months North
County, Incorporated will be working with
the municipalities that border I-270 in North
County and will continue to make the case
for conducting the Corridor Study as soon
as possible. North St. Louis County has tremendous
transportation infrastructure serving its
businesses, institutions, and residents. We
need to continue to make sure it not only
meets today's needs, but also our future potential
for growth and improvement.
NCI is Your North County Connection!
Dr. Mark Tranel
North County Inc. President
|
