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The
Poplar Street Bridge carries traffic for three Interstate
highways: I-55, I-64 and I-70.
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Why
a new bridge?
The future of cities depends on quality transportation.
Statistics show the transportation network at the core of
the St. Louis/Metro East-Illinois urban area will be at the
point of failure within 20 years.
The Poplar
Street Bridge, a focal point of interstate traffic movement
through downtown St. Louis since the 1960's, is severely over-burdened,
and the forecast shows congestion on the entire core highway
network will only get worse.
- By
the year 2020, the 90-minute period of rush-hour congestion
will double to three hours.
- Average
delays will increase from 10 to 55 minutes.
In the
transportation business, this is considered "traffic
failure" -- a highway that doesn't function. But traffic
isn't the only consideration.
The economic
future of the urban core on both sides of the river depends
on the efficient movement of goods and services, and the ability
of people to simply get to work. Transportation paralysis
will force businesses, jobs and new growth out of the urban
core. An improved highway system at the heart of the bi-state
region
will help to revitalize downtown St. Louis, the north riverfront
and the Metro East area, notably East St. Louis and the
former National
Stockyards redevelopment area.
The number
of motorists wanting to cross the Mississippi River will continue
to increase. The region cannot continue to rely on a single
interstate crossing at the heart of the metropolitan area.
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