Highway officials are set to rebuild a part of Highway 40, aka Interstate 64, in St. Louis County. As anyone who’s traveled America knows, the design of interstate highways isn’t exactly interesting architecturally.
But thanks to the influence of Route 66, that may be changing, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Instead, the department has told prospective contractors in its request for bids document that it wants Highway 40 between Sarah Street in St. Louis and Spoede Road in Frontenac rebuilt in “streamline moderne” – a late art deco style that reached its height in the late 1930s. It’s reminiscent of Old Route 66, which runs along part of Highway 40. It’s characterized by strong horizontal lines, some nautical elements and simplicity.
The story has a picture of the Compton Avenue overpass as a “streamline modern” example.