Readers mixed on highway name, biggest group favors I-64 only
Last week’s poll asked what you thought we should call the rebuilt highway through St. Louis, officially known as I-64:
- I-64 only: 74 (45%)
- Highway 40 only: 42 (26%)
- Either Hwy 40 or I-64: 38 (23%)
- Unsure/no opinion: 9 (6% )
163 people voted and as you can see no answer received a majority vote. The biggest group voted for the official name only, I-64. But the second biggest group voted for the original name only, Highway 40. Not far behind are those who are fine with either name.
When I moved to St. Louis in 1990 I found the two names confusing. I thought Highway 40 should be dropped in favor of I-64. But now, nearly 20 years later I have changed my view.  Inner cities will always have limited-access/high-speed roads but interstates should have gone around cities rather than through them.
So, from my view, we shouldn’t celebrate I-64 cutting a swath through the center of the St. Louis region. We should downplay the interstate so outsiders just passing through the region take the highway loop around the region. Keep the highway for local traffic.
– Steve Patterson
I was always under the impression that the original name for that particular stretch of road was the Oakland Express Highway; if people are so adamant about referring to the original name, why don't they call it that?
On a similar note, I-44 replaced Route 66. In fact, Route 66 had several various routes throughout this region before its decommission. Why don't people refer to I-44, Manchester, Chippewa/Watson, etc. as Route 66? It's the same philosophy, no?
My biggest gripe with referring to that stretch of road as “Highway 40” is when it is documented. It is always proper to be official especially when you are writing for, say, a newspaper that is recognized around the world–yeah, the Post Dispatch is horrible at this.
US 61 is picked up by I-64 at Lindbergh, so why don't people call I-64 US 61 west of Lindbergh?
I like to be official, so it is I-64 between the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers and it is US 40 between the Missouri River and I-70–until the Boone Bridges are revised; after that, it'll be I-64 between the Mississippi River and I-70.
Curiously, do Illinois people refer to the stretch of I-64 in Illinois as I-64 or “Highway 40?”
This debate will pass when all of the stubborn people eventually die off. 🙂
The road is shown on highway signs as being both “I-64” and “Highway 40”. So, it looks like we have been given a choice. What's wrong with honoring a local custom anyway? Besides, Highway 40 is apparently a legal name for the highway as well. What's the big deal?
Ask MoDOT and the FHWA. It is officially Interstate 64 as that is the primary designation.
Additionally, you'll notice that the I-64 West sign for NB Jefferson lacks the US 40 shield. The City inquired MoDOT about incorporating the US 40 shield and they were denied. Reason: It is officially Interstate 64 as that is the primary designation.
You can call whatever you want. Like I stated, “My biggest gripe with referring to that stretch of road as “Highway 40″ is when it is documented. It is always proper to be official especially when you are writing for, say, a newspaper that is recognized around the world–yeah, the Post Dispatch is horrible at this.”
In Illinois, Highway 40 follows 55-70 after I-64 splits off to the southeast.
I have heard people call it “seventy” (I-70) and “forty”.
Coincidentally, US 61 is MO's longest numbered route.
What's weird about US 61's concurrence over 64/40 is that the traffic reports, back in the days when 40/61 in St. Charles County was only an expressway and not a full freeway, referred to it as “40/61” when something happened in St. Charles County, but only '40' if it happened east of the Daniel Boone Bridge, even though as you point out, 61 follows the road all the way to Lindbergh.
During the western half closure in 2008 for reconstruction, there was technically no detour for US 61.
Makes about as much sense to call it 40 in the city as it does to call Lindbergh Kirkwood Road in Kirkwood. We're a mobile socety, and people will call it whatever they want to. And, for better or worse, in the future the real answer will be whatever Garmin or Tom Tom decide to call it . . .
How is I-64 the “official name”?
I was always under the impression that the highway was officially designated as both I-64 and Hwy. 40. Originally it was Hwy. 40, but the I-64 designation was added during the 80's, so the stretch would qualify for federal road funds. Does anyone know if this is correct?
IMO, this is a pretty unnecessary semantics argument – people will always call it whatever they want. Heck, I use both interchangeably – probably use 40 more when talking to locals and I-64 when I'm giving out-of-towners directions.
In any case, I don't think changing popular local vernacular will have much of an effect on those simply passing through the region – they're much more likely to be guided by maps, atlases and (as the commenter above pointed out) GPS devices.
You're correct, it got the I-64 designation in 1988. But it took until 1994 that all the boulevard and street signs near it got I-64 shields.
This stretch has some interesting history, but that's for another day.
Steve, How about a poll on: twenty ten, or thousand and ten. Sounds like npr is going with the former.
No poll needed, it is twenty ten.
You're correct, it got the I-64 designation in 1988. But it took until 1994 that all the boulevard and street signs near it got I-64 shields.
This stretch has some interesting history, but that's for another day.