For the last two years my life has been completely disrupted because one of the main East-West highways in St. Louis has been shut down to be completely rebuilt. It also happens to be the highway that is 3 blocks north of my house, and a key road for getting to my parents, work, and Kelly’s parents. It is just about the worst highway to have taken away, and I have had to deal with it being gone for the last two years.
But as of yesterday, it is back open, and completely rebuilt. And you know what? It is pretty much just the same as it was before. They didn’t add any lanes to help decrease traffic, and they didn’t really change some key intersections so that traffic is building up in exactly the same places that it was before the highway was rebuilt. And to make things worse, they took away some exits and entrances, including the main one that I used to get home.
Still, despite all of that, it is back, and I have a direct route to very important places in my day. And I save about 15 minutes each way to work. And I guess better gas mileage since I’m on the highway. I think that is reason enough to celebrate.
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I was just a little girl when Hiway 40 was built. It was at first called the “Red Feather Highway” after the charity that was like the United Way. Our family rarely went on it, but when we did it was an amazing great adventure, even though we did not see the need for it.
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Baba, that’s really interesting. I have never heard of the Red Feather, but I think we need to resurrect the name. Hwy 40/I-64 sounds so cold and lifeless. Bring back the Red Feather Highway!
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