Telegraph Rd. And I- 255 Bridge Replacement & Interchange Improvement Project 
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at the corner of Telegraph and Kinswood to celebrate the opening of the Telegraph and Interstate 255 bridge and interchange.
All lanes of the new Telegraph Road bridge at Interstate 255 are open!
Traffic is currently utilizing both sides of the new bridge. In addition, all lanes of I-255 are also open. Occasional lane closures will take place to finish landscaping and other minor work. This bridge includes a permanent double loop ramp to access I-255 westbound from Telegraph Road.
The new bridge opened May 1, 2008 to traffic, and is part of a $7.1 million bridge reconstruction project, to replace the two bridges over I-255 with one bridge and improve interchange flow. The improvements include a double loop ramp from northbound Telegraph Road to westbound I-255. The improvement also updates the bridges (one which was built in the late 1940s and the other in the early 1950s) and will add an additional lane on westbound I-255 between Telegraph to nearly Lemay Ferry Road.
Download Project Maps:
- Detour Routes (595 kb, 1 page)
For southbound Telegraph to eastbound I-255 and westbound I-255 to southbound Telegraph
What Is The Problem With The Telegraph Road Bridge And The Interstate 255 Interchange?
The Telegraph Road (Route 231) bridge over Interstate 255 is actually two separate bridges. One was built in the late 1940s and the other was built in the early 1950s. The bridges are beginning to show significant signs of deterioration and they no longer meet modern standards. In addition, there is a significant congestion problem on the bridge, especially for northbound Telegraph Road traffic entering westbound Interstate 255 and for eastbound Interstate 255 traffic exiting at Telegraph Road.
What Is The Proposed Solution?
- The aging Telegraph Road bridges over Interstate 255 will be replaced as one bridge.
- MoDOT is proposing to maintain traffic on Telegraph Road over Interstate 255 during construction.
- The bridge would be replaced one half at a time, and there will be one lane open for southbound Telegraph Road and three lanes open for northbound Telegraph Road during construction.
- Southbound Telegraph Road traffic will not be able to make a left onto eastbound Interstate 255. Westbound Interstate 255 traffic exiting at Telegraph Road will not be able to go south on Telegraph Road. Traffic would be detoured to Lemay Ferry and Barracksview.
- Traffic delays on Telegraph Road would actually be less than the other construction options MoDOT considered. The heaviest movements at the interchange (northbound Telegraph Road to westbound Interstate 255 in the morning and eastbound Interstate 255 to southbound Telegraph Road in the evening) will actually see slightly improved traffic conditions.
- Construct a new two-lane loop ramp from northbound Telegraph Road to westbound Interstate 255. This new ramp will more efficiently move traffic from northbound Telegraph Road onto westbound Interstate 255.
Construction was completed in May 2008.
Constructing The Bridge – What Other Options Did MoDOT Look At?
Road Open Using Movable Barricades
- In order to keep traffic flowing while construction is under way, MoDOT could utilize a moveable traffic barrier system to maintain three lanes northbound and one lane southbound in the morning and two lanes northbound and southbound in the evening.
- This is the most expensive option. Traffic would operate less efficiently than the MoDOT preferred option and more efficiently than the road closure option.
- Construction completed: approximately one year.
Road Closed Over Interstate 255
- Southbound Telegraph Road traffic would be detoured to Barracksview and then to Lemay Ferry. Northbound Telegraph Road traffic would be detoured to Koch Road.
- This is the least expensive option. However traffic delays associated with this option would be extremely high at Kinswood and at Koch Road. This option would essentially create constant gridlock at the interchange.
- Construction completed: approximately four months.
Why Build A Loop Ramp From Northbound Telegraph Road Onto Westbound Interstate 255?
- This new ramp will have two lanes that will more efficiently move traffic from northbound Telegraph Road onto westbound Interstate 255. Traffic will no longer have to stop at a traffic signal to enter the interstate.
- There will also be a dedicated entrance lane on westbound Interstate 255 that will extend to Lemay Ferry Road. This will give drivers nearly two miles to safely merge onto the highway.
- MoDOT removed the old loop ramp from northbound Telegraph Road to westbound Interstate 255 in the 1980s. This ramp was a single lane loop ramp that could not handle traffic entering westbound Interstate 255.
Estimated Project Cost:
This project was awarded to St. Louis Bridge Construction Co. (St. Louis, MO) for $7.1 million.
Current Project Timeline:
June 28, 2006
Held informational open house meeting.
Early 2007
Final design was complete.
March 2007
The project was bid on.
April 2007
The project was awarded to St. Louis Bridge Construction Co. (St. Louis, MO) for $7.1 million.
May 2007
Construction began.
Early May 2008
Construction complete
Who Do I Contact For More Information?
Contact MoDOT Project Manager Shirley Norris at 1-888 ASK MODOT (275-6636) or e-mail Shirley.Norris@modot.mo.gov
Contact MoDOT Area Engineer Kristy Yates at 1-888 ASK MODOT (275-6636) or e-mail Kristy.Yates@modot.mo.gov
Contact MoDOT Community Relations Specialist Jack Wang at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or e-mail Jack.Wang@modot.mo.gov
Updated May 2, 2007
