MoDOT says new outreach, limited resurfacing plans ahead for Olive Boulevard; pothole hotline given

Sean Tuley, a transportation planner with the Missouri Department of Transportation's St. Louis District, told an Olivette City public meeting that MoDOT is moving toward earlier and more rounds of public engagement on corridor projects and that resurfacing work is on the schedule for parts of the Olive Boulevard corridor.

Tuley said MoDOT has begun using a “Complete Streets” resource to consider walking, biking and transit needs alongside pavement work. "We've been starting to now realize that waiting until plans in hand stage can't change much is probably not the best for collaboration with communities," he said, adding that for larger investments MoDOT now aims for at least two rounds of community engagement before final plans are prepared.

Tuley and local planners discussed a resurfacing bid that has already been let for a corridor segment. "The bid's been let out and I believe the contractor has been selected and in the fall they're supposed to be doing a milling and repaving of the corridor," a local engineering representative said during the meeting; Tuley confirmed resurfacing typically occurs on a seven-to-15-year cycle depending on prior treatment and funding.

Several residents pressed MoDOT and city officials about potholes and winter maintenance. Tuley provided MoDOT's customer-service line for immediate maintenance reports: (314) 275-1500, and said the number connects callers to a live person who can log pothole requests.

Residents also raised safety concerns tied to pavement condition, the center turn lane, and sidewalks placed directly adjacent to fast-moving traffic. Tuley described safety trends statewide — a rise in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities and serious injuries — and said MoDOT's new projects and grants (including a Safe Streets and Roads for All approach and a Gateway to Safe Roads plan) aim to reduce fatalities and serious injuries. He said some quick-build safety measures, such as medians and curb extensions, can be implemented faster but noted those changes sometimes prompt pushback when communities were not involved early.

City and regional planning staff attending the meeting — including Carlos Trejo, the City of Olivette's planning and community development director, and John Wagner, University City's director of planning and development — described ongoing coordination with MoDOT and neighboring jurisdictions on corridor work and pedestrian improvements.

The meeting included questions about whether MoDOT will repave the entire Olive Boulevard corridor to I-270 in 2025. Tuley and the local engineering representative said resurfacing is planned in specific segments for the coming construction season but they were not able to confirm a single, corridor-wide 2025 repave to I-270. "I'm not sure if it's all the way to 270 or here," the engineering representative said when describing the current contract scope.

Why it matters: Olive Boulevard is a mixed-use corridor where residents, local governments and state transportation planners are balancing vehicle throughput, planned commercial development and pedestrian safety. The shift Tuley described toward earlier engagement could affect project scope and design details that influence sidewalks, medians and crossings.

What’s next: MoDOT staff encouraged residents to report potholes via the phone line and said public engagement on corridor projects will continue as agencies refine designs and schedules.