March 1, 2021
St. Charles County, Missouri - A much anticipated addition to Route 364, also known as the Page Extension, in St. Charles County is one step closer to reality today: Construction has started on eastbound and westbound slip ramps near Heritage Crossing in St. Charles in an effort to reduce travel time and provide easier access to and from the area.
When the East-West Gateway Council of Governments (EWGCG) engaged the community in its Public Involvement Planning Process in 2018, the agency received more than 100 comments in support of this project—more than double any other application for federal funds. A study by Lochmueller Group, funded by St. Charles County and the City of St. Charles and administered by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), also verified the necessity of the slip ramps. That year, the EWGCG Board of Directors, which includes St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann and District 7 County Councilman John White, approved $2.8 million for the construction. St. Charles County sought and secured 50 percent of the funding from the Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program; the other 50 percent comes from the County’s voter-approved half-cent Transportation Sales Tax. Senator Bill Eigel (R-Weldon Spring), and Rep. Phil Christofanelli (R-St. Peters), gave their support for acquiring funding at the federal level.
Ehlmann and White enthusiastically advocated for the improvements.
“I know the residents in my district are excited to see this project come to fruition,” White says. “These ramps will help reduce congestion and make travel faster, safer and easier.”
The St. Charles County Highway Department is the lead agency on the project and is coordinating construction efforts with MoDOT. The project includes:
- A westbound slip ramp/acceleration lane onto Route 364 that is accessible from Heritage Crossing and North St. Peters Parkway that ends prior to the Jungs Station Road overpass.
- An eastbound slip ramp/deceleration lane from Route 364 onto South St. Peters Parkway that begins just after the Jungs Station overpass to access Heritage Crossing.
Lane widening and signal modifications are expected to accommodate the new slip ramps. There will be no road closures during construction. Motorists are advised to drive carefully in the area and slow down near work crews. Work is expected to be completed by this fall.
“Route 364 is a vital component of our transportation infrastructure in St. Charles County and one of the most used thoroughfares,” Ehlmann explains. “The addition of these ramps will help residents save time and help open up new opportunities for businesses in the area by providing increased accessibility and visibility.”