According to transporthint, US 65 is a US Highway in the US state of Missouri. The road forms a north-south route through the center of the state, from the Arkansas border through Springfield, Sedalia, and Chillicothe to the Iowa border. The road is largely a secondary main route and is 505 kilometers long.

Travel directions

At Ridgedale, US 65 in Arkansas enters the state of Missouri from Harrison as a 2×2 divided highway. The road then runs along Table Rock Lake to Branson, a little further on. Along Branson the road is a highway and north of the town it crosses US 160. The road then leads through the Markt Twain National Forest and has a 20-kilometer 2×2 level section before turning back into a freeway just south of Springfield. Springfield is one of the larger cities in Missouri. US 65 forms a highway on the east side of the city. On the south side you cross US 60. On the north side of Springfield one crosses Interstate 44 via acloverleaf.

US 65 south of Buffalo.

North of Springfield, the road soon narrows to two lanes and then begins a long route north. The next larger town is Sedalia, 180 kilometers to the north. You first pass through a somewhat flatter area with meadows and little forest. Further north there is more forest, because you come through the low Ozark Mountains. At Preston you cross the US 54. Further north, the road passes Warsaw, crossing the Harry S. Truman Reservoir, a large network of reservoirs that connects to the Lake of the Ozarks. Then you leave the Ozark Mountains for good and you arrive in the flatter north of Missouri. A little south of Sedalia, the road widens to 2×2 lanes and then passes through the 20,000-population town.

In Sedalia you cross the US 50. The road then continues in 2×2 lanes to Interstate 70, which crosses halfway between Sedalia and Marshall. I-70 is Missouri’s main east-west highway, passing through the town of Marshall. After Marshall, the road heads west for about 30 miles before US 24 merges out of Kansas City and the two roads head north again. One then crosses the broad Missouri River and at Carrollton, about 15 kilometers to the north, the US 24 turns again towards Moberly. The road then continues in two lanes through the agricultural area to the north and crosses US 36. at the town of Chillicothe. US 65 cuts through the town of Chillicothe and then continues north past Trenton toward Iowa. At Princeton one still crosses the US 136. US 65 in Iowa then continues to Des Moines.

History

De US 65 in Springfield.

According to travelationary, US 65 was created in 1926. A little earlier, in 1922, the Waverly Bridge over the Missouri River was opened, which was replaced by a new bridge in 2004. US 65 as a whole is of great through importance, although it is a major road locally, around Springfield and Branson the road has therefore been constructed as a freeway. In 1972, the Schoolcraft Freeway opened along the east side of Springfield. Circa 1988, this highway was extended further south beyond Ozark. In 1996-1997 the highway opened around Branson.

In 2016-2017, US 65 south of Springfield was widened to 2×3 lanes. Later, the highway was widened to 2×3 lanes further to Ozark.

Traffic intensities

About 15,000 vehicles cross the Arkansas border every day, increasing to 23,000 toward Springfield and 64,000 vehicles along the east side of Springfield. Further north, the intensities hover between 2,500 and 8,000 vehicles per day. Between Sedalia and I-70, 8,000 vehicles drive on the 2×2 section and 3,000 vehicles on the double-numbered US 24. Further north, only 2,000 vehicles drive per day.

Blanchette Bridge

The Blanchette Bridge in 2010.

The Blanchette Bridge is a cantilever truss bridge in the United States, located in the state of Missouri. The bridge spans the Missouri River in St. Charles, a suburb of St. Louis. The bridge is part of Interstate 70.

Characteristics

The Blanchette Bridge are two parallel bridges with the same appearance. The bridge is a steel cantilever truss bridge, with a total length of 1,244 meters and a main span of 146.3 meters. The northern bridge for traffic heading west is 18.3 meters wide, the southern bridge for traffic heading east is 20.7 meters wide. Over the bridge is Interstate 70 with 2×5 lanes. The bridge is toll-free.

History

The bridge was part of the first stretch of Interstate Highway in the United States, construction began in 1956 and the first bridge was opened to traffic in 1958 or 1959. With the increase in suburbanization in St. Charles County, traffic over the Missouri River increased so that a second bridge was necessary. It opened to traffic in 1978. In 1993, the bridge was further relieved with the opening of the Discovery Bridge further north.

The bridge is named after Louis Blanchette (1739-1793) a French Canadian who mapped the Missouri region in the 18th century. He founded the city of St. Charles in 1769, where the Blanchette Bridge is located. This was the first European city along the Missouri River.

Renovation & Replacement

The bridge will be renovated between 2012 and 2014, the entire bridge deck of the bridge from 1958 has been replaced, as well as the main spans. The replacement bridge opened to traffic in August 2013, more than two months ahead of schedule. During the rebuilding of the old bridge, traffic was diverted over the 1978 bridge, with temporary 2×3 lanes. During the works, the number of lanes on the alternative Discovery Bridge was widened from 2×3 to 2×4. The renovation and replacement cost $64 million.

Traffic intensities

In 2012, 154,000 vehicles crossed the Blanchette Bridge every day. This is the busiest bridge in the St. Louis area.