Westbound Interstate 44 lanes being restriped between I-55 and I-270

St. Louis (KSDK) -- The westbound lanes of Interstate 44 between I-55 and I-270 will close this weekend for restriping, the Missouri Department of Transportation said Thursday.

According to Jack Wang, a MoDOT spokesman, heavy rainfall has forced the lane closures to be pushed back from Friday night at 7 p.m.  to Saturday morning at 2 a.m.

The restriping was originally slated to be completed by 5 a.m. on Monday, August 2.  Two westbound lanes will remain open for traffic, so delays are a possibility.

These lane closures are contingent on clear weather, Wang said.

MoDOT restriped this area in 2007 to provide an extra lane in both directions to serve as a detour for the I-64 project. With that project now complete, the I-44 lanes must go back to their standard 12-foot lanes, with shoulders, providing four lanes in each direction.

MoDOT South County Area Engineer Kristy Yates said the lanes will be restriped with wider stripes to increase driver visibility.

Motorists are encouraged to plan alternate routes. For more information on traffic closures and commuting problems, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT or visit www.modot.org.