Motorists traveling around Jefferson County soon will find it easier to see where they’re going.
The Missouri Department of Transportation has approved a contract to replace and repair lighting alongside I-55 and several other roads in the county, including highways 141, 30, 21, Old 21, 67, M and A, area engineer Stephen O’Connor said.
He said MoDOT will pay $527,314 to Reinhold Electric of St. Louis for lighting improvements in Jefferson and Franklin counties.
O’Connor said the company may begin replacing and improving lighting in the area starting today, June 1, and the project is expected to be completed by Dec. 30, 2024.
“There will be a lot of work done all over Jefferson and Franklin counties,” he said. “The Dec. 30, 2024, completion date gives the contractor time to organize, and it gives MoDOT a better price if they are not crunched to do it right away.”
One of the more noticeable improvements will be the restoration of lights on the bridge on Jeffco Boulevard that spans the Meramec River between Arnold and St. Louis County.
On May 24, O’Connor said there are nine poles on each side of the bridge that have not been working for some time. He said he did not know when those lights stopped working.
“That is just part of the package to upgrade the lights,” O’Connor said.
He said five new 45-foot light poles will be erected and 22 new 45-foot light bases will be installed as part of the project.
He also said 35 base doors will be repaired, and numerous LED, 250-watt and 400-watt light bulbs will be replaced throughout Jefferson and Franklin counties.
In addition, O’Connor said light poles along highways and interstates in both counties will be straightened during the project.
“It may take a little while to get it all knocked out,” O’Connor said. “It will be better lit.”