Several residents in Hoene Springs and the Jefferson County portion of Eureka are wondering when they will be able to drive on Hwy. W again after a large rockslide last month left a portion of the road crumbling and unstable.
Hwy. W, a main east-west transportation corridor for many in northwest Jefferson County, has been closed at Twin River and Boemler Road since April 11. MoDOT has reported that the slide, which occurred on a narrow portion of the highway with bluffs on one side and the Big River on the other, likely was caused by heavy rains and flooding.
In a May 5 written statement from MoDOT, the agency said it is waiting for the results of a geotechnical report before a determination can be made about when the road can reopen.
Eureka city officials emailed area residents on May 9 with new information they received from MoDOT, informing them that crews began clearing the damaged road on May 8.
“While Hwy. W is under construction, the route remains closed to through traffic,” according to the written statement. “Although work has begun, a completion date for reopening the roadway has not yet been determined. We’ll share more information when it is determined.”
John Redel, president of the Hoene Springs Improvement Association, has questioned MoDOT’s standard operating procedure for emergency road closures.
“On behalf of the HSIA, our largest concern has been the lack of transparency by MoDOT up until this point,” he said in a written statement. “In multiple attempts to connect with MoDOT, the only response we could receive was ‘Hwy. W is closed.’ How can surrounding communities and businesses prepare for temporary or permanent accommodation with this lack of transparency?”
A series of soft and concrete barriers have been set up near the slide on Hwy. W to prevent vehicles from attempting to pass through. Residents who live in two houses between the barriers may still access their homes by navigating around the soft barriers.
MoDOT has not released an official detour route to get around the closure. One unofficial detour takes west and eastbound motorists from Hwy. W to Byrnesville Road to John McKeever Road to Hwy. FF, which turns into Hwy. W near Eureka. Another one has motorists take Twin River Road to Hwy. PP, which ends at Hwy. 30 in High Ridge.
Emergency response
Eureka Fire Protection District Chief Scott Barthelmass said the district quickly adapted to the closure to continue emergency services.
The district’s Station 3 is in Jefferson County, at 3570 Riverbend Road along Hwy. W, while its two other stations are within Eureka city limits in St. Louis County.
“Station 3 has been cut off from the rest of the district,” Barthelmass said.
Eureka Fire is relying on its mutual aid agreements with other emergency agencies to ensure the closure doesn’t mean a delay in services. Station 3 is working with the Cedar Hill and High Ridge fire protection districts, along with the North Jefferson County and Big River ambulance districts, to provide coverage, he said.
To maintain service in St. Louis County, Eureka Fire stations 1 and 2 are working with the Pacific, Fenton, Metro West and Valley Park fire protection districts. Eureka Fire is also working with Jefferson County and St. Louis County emergency dispatch to reroute firetrucks and ambulances around the closure, Barthelmass said.
“MoDOT has been in regular contact with us,” he said. “We continuously evaluate that we’re able to just as quickly get adequate resources to handle whatever the call may be on either side of the river.”
Byrnes Mill Police Chief Frank T. Selvaggio said he’s seen a large increase in traffic on the city’s roads, specifically Byrnes Mill Road and Lower Byrnes Mill Road, since Hwy. W closed. Motorists on a detoured route may take Twin River Road to Byrnes Mill Road, instead of taking Hwy. PP, to reach Hwy. 30.
“We’ve had a pretty large increase in traffic and a lot of complaints about speeding,” Selvaggio said. “We put a radar trailer out to remind people of the speed limit and have made several traffic stops, issuing warnings for excessive speeding.”
The speed limit for both Byrnes Mill and Lower Byrnes Mill roads is 30 miles per hour. The area is residential, Selvaggio said, and many school buses pick up and drop off students along the roads.
He said motorists should account for the detours on their commutes and allow extra time.
“I understand this (closure) has put a crimp on people’s lives, but we have to maintain safety in our city,” he said.
Residents inconvenienced
Becky Gedney, who has lived on her property along Hwy. W in Hoene Springs for 25 years, said she sees countless cars, tractor-trailers and other vehicles turn around at the soft barrier near her house, and as a result, has painted a yellow stripe in front of her driveway to deter people from turning around on her property.
Gedney said there are plenty of “road closed” signs leading to the Hwy. W closure. However, many drivers are accustomed to the road being closed during flooding and think they can take their chances driving through it.
“There was a dually (truck) that came down with a flatbed gooseneck (trailer), and near my driveway, he realized the road was closed and slammed on the brakes,” Gedney said. “I watched the wheels; they weren’t moving. You can see his track marks all the way to the ‘road closed’ sign. He was barreling down here.”
Jim Hoene, the grandson of the founder of Hoene Springs, has lived in the town for 65 years. The road closure split his farming operation in half, which means he must take the detour route numerous times a day to reach the other side of his property.
“This is my second trip around the horn today,” Hoene said on the afternoon of May 7. “It takes about 10-15 minutes. We had to bring a lot of seed around this morning (and) haul the skid steer over here.”
Both unofficial detour routes are on narrow, country roads, which can make it difficult to transport farming equipment on them, Hoene said.
Dave Miller, a 48-year Hoene Springs resident, added that an accident or downed tree can gum up traffic in the area. On the morning of May 7, a Penske moving truck overturned into a ditch on Hwy. W, essentially trapping in some residents living along the road for a short period until emergency crews could free the driver from the truck.
“(The closure) is impacting everybody, thousands of people daily,” Miller said. “I’m retired, so it’s not so difficult on me, but people who have to commute can’t go in that direction, and vice versa. Information is the first thing we need, whether it’s good news or bad news. We’re all grown-ups; we’ve got thick enough skin.”
Brad Kerbs has lived in Hoene Springs for 49 years. He called the closure of Hwy. W “a catastrophe” for nearby residents.
He said taking the detour around Hwy. W using John McKeever Road adds 15 minutes to his commute, so instead of taking it, he simply doesn’t travel west toward Eureka for shopping or dining out anymore.
“I would think the businesses in Eureka would have felt the impact of the loss of traffic,” Krebs said. “People are adjusting their shopping habits (due to the road closure).”