From nothing, a street

A new Tucker Boulevard is taking shape!
View from one of the north-facing windows at 900 N. Tucker Blvd.

Here's where a street and the Interco Plaza used to be.

The scene at 900 N. Tucker

Soon, we'll be an island.

Officially, we are an island.

Styrofoam + concrete + dirt

The latest conditions on Tucker.

Grand staircase to nowhere

Long legs required.

The North Tucker Styrofoam Project has almost reached street level!

So long, Interco Plaza

No longer a place to pee.

New section of Tucker closes for demo

Closed.

Today, workers barricaded the segment of North Tucker Boulevard from Convention to MLK. (In fact, they did so as I was walking to work, and I became briefly trapped in the fenced-in area.)

Also, here's a story by colleague Tim Bryant about what the construction means for downtown.

Styrofoam — not snow

Looking north at North Tucker Boulevard. At right, the Post-Dispatch.
In the distance, with the satellite dishes on its roof, is KDNL.
In the foreground is a chain-link fence to protect us
from falling into the big hole.

Here's the scene on North Tucker Boulevard: A layer of Styrofoam blocks is down, and dirt is going in at the western side of that. I want to go walk on it, but I'm not sure why. This video by my colleague Huy Mach explains a bit of the process and includes some explanation of why this project is necessary.

Also, this just in from our HR department:

Jan. 14: Barriers and fencing will be placed at the south corner of Tucker and MLK and at Tucker and Convention Plaza. Detour signs will also be placed.


Jan. 17: Demolition of Tucker from the south MLK corner to St. Patrick Center will begin. MLK will remain open to traffic.


Jan. 14: A dirt ramp will be built from Interco Plaza to the tunnel under Tucker. Parking on Hadley will not be affected, but there will be increased truck traffic.

Workers pack the P-D with protective Styrofoam

Looking east at the Post-Dispatch at 900 N. Tucker Blvd.
The top of the black portion of the building is street level.

Looking north from the remaining portion of North Tucker Boulevard.
In the distance, trucks are hauling in more Styrofoam blocks. 

I stood outside watching the Tucker Boulevard construction for a long time today. These Styrofoam blocks are going in because the Post-Dispatch's basement walls weren't built to withstand the weight of dirt. Dirt and street will go on top. Fascinating.

Interco Plaza is no more

Looking north to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, over the former Interco Plaza

The view from 900 N. Tucker

Look, Mom — no street!

Here's the scene on North Tucker Boulevard last week, as demolition of the rickety bridge continues. 

Where the sidewalk ends

North Tucker has been removed north of Cole Street, outside the McDonald's. Here's the view 30 feet down.

Demolition is well under way on North Tucker Boulevard, the street that runs right in front my my office in downtown St. Louis. The street actually is a bridge that's been decaying in recent years, so it's coming down to make way for a new street.

Here's some lame video:

Don't get struck by a speeding car on North Tucker

Readying for repairs on the Tucker bridge (it's collapsing rapidly; check the giant holes in the sidewalk), workers have removed all the helpful traffic signals from Convention to MLK. They've been temporarily replaced by flimsy stop signs that blow over in the slightest wind, which means no one is doing any stopping.

Foolishness, mayhem and nonsense.

City sights

I suppose this orange cone is a permanent fixture here now.