Interstate 270 (Illinois-Missouri)

Infobox road
route=270
type=I

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alternate_name=
length_mi=50.59
length_round=2
length_ref=Federal Highway Administration Route Log and Finder List, [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/table1.htm Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways as of October 31, 2002] ]
year_established=
direction_a=CCW
terminus_a=
junction=
direction_b=CW
terminus_b=

Interstate 270 (abbreviated I-270) makes up a large portion of the outer belt freeway in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area. The counterclockwise terminus of I-270 is at the junction with Interstate 55 in Mehlville, Missouri; the clockwise terminus of the freeway is at the junction with I-55 and I-70 north of Troy, Illinois. The entire stretch of I-270 is 50.59 miles.

Interstate 270 between Interstate 70 and Interstate 55 was formerly designated Interstate 244, a Western bypass of St. Louis, Missouri. It was originally proposed by Missouri as Interstate 144, but the road was a beltway (or part of one), so the AASHTO assigned it the number "244". By the late 1970s, the highway was integrated as a part of "270" for consistency.

History

During the Great Flood of 1993, the New Chain of Rocks Bridge carrying I-270 over the Mississippi River was the only bridge open from St. Louis to Keokuk, Iowa.

The last major construction project on I-270 occurred from 1995-1998. Both the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation upgraded I-270 to modern standards from Lilac Ave. to I-255.

On September 13, 1999, a fatal accident involving a tractor-trailer occurred in the westbound lanes of I-270 [Retrieved from http://snewpy.com/1999/09/15/270crash.html via web.archive.org] in front of the now-defunct St. Thomas Aquinas-Mercy High School (now North County Christian School) in North St. Louis County. This accident sped up efforts that led to the I-170/270 interchange reconstruction that went from 2001 to 2004.

A major chemical spill from a FedEx truck between the Route 367 and Lilac exits on October 28, 2002 forced detours and lengthy delays. [http://www.kmov.com/topstories/kmov_localnews_021030_270crash.10c641073.html]

There were plans to sign an eight mile section of I-270 from Glen Carbon to Edwardsville as I-870. However, this idea was discarded. [cite web|url=http://www.kurumi.com/roads/3di/i870.html|title=Interstate 870|work=3 digit interstates @ kurumi.com|accessdate=2006-07-12|date=2005-02-23]

In 2008 MODOT Implemented new Variable speed linits on I-270/255 with the normal limit being 60mph. - [ [http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/commutingtraffic/story/7CD01A7907D3ABB58625745100140431?OpenDocument STLtoday - Variable speed limit begins today on I-270 ] ]

Future

IDOT wants to widen I-270 from Lilac to I-255 from four lanes to six, but no money is available at the current time. [ [http://www.siu.edu/~econdev/oerd/5year/supportprojects/transinfrastructureswregion.htm Transportation Infrastructure Proposals – Southwestern Region ] ] However, IDOT has announced that nearly $75 million has been programmed for replacement of the canal bridges between 2010 and 2014. [ [http://www.dot.state.il.us/press/05.22.08%20GOV%20IDOT%20MYP%202009-14.pdf IDOT 10.9 Billion Multi-year Highway Improvement Program] ]

Exit list

References

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