City Wants to Re-Open Sappington Barracks Road Monday to Traffic But Foul Weather May Foil

Sappington Barracks Road in Sunset Hills is slated to re-open Monday under "minimally functional" conditions for general traffic, according to city officials.

However, the weekend's snow, rain and cold weather delay the drying process that would allow for reopening to any traffic but residents, according to information on the , under "current projects."

Residents along the road have struggled over access to their driveways with ditches, mud, rocky surfaces and blocked off areas.

One resident of Sappington Barracks Road Saturday seemed dumbfounded by the degree of inconvenience from nearly six months of roadwork in front of his house.

"I've been here 50 years and we've never seen anything like this," according to the owner of the house who is listed in public records  as Eugene Feicht. Gesturing toward a four-foot wide ditch at the end on either side of the driveway, he said: "We had to build up our own thing here, to get in our driveway. They didn't do it."

Intersections along Sappington Barracks Road at Crestwick, Meppen and Joan drives will still narrow to one lane Monday even if Sappington Barracks opens. The curved concrete sections or aprons must dry and cure on first one side of the streets and then are poured and cure on the other side.

Adding concrete sidewalks to the south side of Sappington Barracks Road is next.

Workers ripped out the old asphalt road surface and replaced it with concrete. They are scheduled to re-grade areas for paving early next week.

The city budgeted nearly $757,000 for the stormwater sewers upgrade which included cutting down trees, moving and removing telephone utility poles, moving gas and water mains, building a retaining wall, installing the new mains and tearing up the road.

But the project ran into snags since its inception in July.

In early October, officials found a new water supply line to homes on Meppen Drive ran through the area earmarked for new stormwater sewers. A gas line was also found to be in the way of the proposed sewers at Crestwick Drive.

Missouri American Water agreed to make room for the sewers by moving a main, but hit bedrock below. They capped off the water main entirely.

Sappington Barracks Road runs from Gravois Road to Oleander Drive, near the intersection of Lindbergh Boulevard and Sappington Road. Mehlville Fire House Number 3 sits between Lindbergh and Sappington Barracks.

Two weeks ago, the fire house parking lot was accessible only by driving through gravel, rock and a muddy ditch. The driveway for fire trucks empties onto Lindbergh and was not compromised by this project.

A lengthy yet low retaining wall was added along Sappington Barracks behind the vacant property that was Sunset Ford.