Dardenne Prairie continues fight for a Hanley Road underpass

Dardenne Prairie city officials met with County Executive Steve Ehlmann on this week to see if there was some way to ensure that Hanley Road would remain open after the new Page Avenue Extension (Route 364) is constructed near the heart of the city.

Dardenne Prairie Mayor Pam Fogarty surmised that if no money were available for an exit or roundabout for Hanley Road, near Dardenne Prairie’s City Hall and city center, the new highway could abruptly cut off Hanley Road. Because this is a design-build project, no firm plans have been made public for Phase III of the Page Extension.

It’s a $100 million project, funded with state, federal and local tax money. Ehlmann has said the goal is to extend Route 364 from Mid Rivers Mall Drive to I-64 in the western part of the county, but how that road will look in the end is up to the design-build team and the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The possibility that the new highway would cut off access toHanley Roadcaused much concern among residents who use the road regularly.

Fogarty met with a group of about 150 residents at a town hall meeting last week, and vowed to work with state and county officials to find a way to keep Hanley Road open between Hwy. N and Feise Road after the new highway is built.

At the city’s request, the county agreed to redirect funds programmed for its 2013-14 Transportation Improvement Plan to ensure that Hanley Road remain open. Dardenne Prairie had submitted an application to the County Road Board seeking $2 million to improve Hanley Road from Feise Road to Pleasant Meadow Drive.

Dardenne Prairie agreed to shift that money to MoDOT and its design-build team so it can provide an underpass of Hanley Road at Route 364.