Reply to Crossing the SR 370 Bridge

In mid-September, we crossed the bridge on the SR-370 Highway, from Bridgeton to Saint Charles. There is a trail ramp but we completely missed it, due to several factors, best summed up in my journal entry -

"There was supposed to be an access ramp down to the Katy, but we did not see it. Instead, we took the exit ramp for motor vehicles and got down to SR 94. The Katy was across the road and it was a bit of a challenge to get there. Once on the Katy, I saw a ramp leading up to SR 370 and went up to see why we missed it. Turns out, several factors led to the oversight. The sign had been turned away and bent toward the ground. I figured I would be a good citizen and attempt to straighten it for the next person. The sign was firmly in the ground and would not budge, leading me to believe this placement had been done on purpose. The opening in the guard rail was not very wide and occurred just a few feet from the beginning of the off-ramp. So, no sign, high speed traffic, deafening noise, and an approaching off-ramp shared with speeding 5000 pound pieces of metal all conspired to distract us. Nobody in our group, even those who came earlier, noticed the ramp. I hope this was just an temporary situation."

Does anyone know why the sign was turned away? I think the lack of a clear notification of the ramp down to the trail creates an unnecessarily dangerous situation for anyone trying to get from the Mississippi River Trail to the Katy. Additionally, at that time (9/14/18), the grass had not been cut and it seemed to be taking over the ramp, further disguising it.

I would encourage you to contact Missouri Dept of Transportation. 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636). I have found them to be quite helpful.

Thanks Hank. I will contact them.