Highway N Safety Improvements Coming

One of the most crowded two-lane roads in the county will soon get major safety improvements, thanks to a funding package announced by County Executive Steve Ehlmann and a group of county mayors.

“This is what I’ve been pushing for all along,” Ehlmann says. “This area is growing by the minute, and Highway N needs to be made better and safer.”

A 4-mile stretch of Highway N from Hawk Ridge Trail near Interstate 64 to Perry Cate Boulevard will be transformed into a modern suburban roadway with two (or more) lanes of traffic in each direction.

The estimated $100 million funding plan includes: 

• $46.5 million from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)
• $15 million in federal funds approved by East-West Gateway Council of Governments 
• $750,000 from federal transportation funds requested by Congressman Bob Onder 
• $40 million from St. Charles County’s ½-cent Transportation Sales Tax 

Ehlmann says he’s grateful for the help of the mayors in St. Charles County, all of whom supported the Highway N project for grant funding this year.

“Right now, it’s two lanes and it’s dangerous,” says O’Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy, who spoke at the funding announcement. “This project is going to help O’Fallon, Dardenne Prairie, Lake Saint Louis, and Wentzville. I just want to thank County Executive Ehlmann for his leadership.”

Wentzville Mayor Nick Guccione also spoke, noting how the Highway N corridor has been getting popular with developers, as new subdivisions rise up out of former farm fields.

“Who doesn’t like safer roads?” Guccione says. “Huge, safer roads benefit Wentzville. The growth we’ve been having is coming to the western part of St. Charles County.”

Dardenne Prairie Mayor Keith Widaman says it’s good news. 

“This project began at the doorstep of Dardenne Prairie,” Widaman says. “I think it’s going to help relieve some congestion. This is a positive move in the right direction for safer roads.”

Highway N was originally the farm-to-market Boone’s Lick Road, and later became a two-lane state route. It remains a state highway under state control. 

MoDOT District Engineer Tom Evers also spoke at the news conference, saying the goal is safety. 

“This is not meant to be a high-speed corridor,” Evers says. “This is not meant to be a freeway. This is more of a residential feel to the corridor, and I think that will encourage more safety.”

Design plans include a 40-mph, divided highway with two-lanes in each direction and a grassy median in the middle. There will be a walking path on one side. Motorists will have to turn right to get in and out of the side streets.

Design and right-of-way acquisition start later this year. Groundbreaking is expected in late 2027. 

Plans are in the works for a second phase of improvements, west of Perry Cate Boulevard to Highway Z.

Photo caption: St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann announces funding package for Highway N improvements, alongside MoDOT District Engineer Tom Evers, Wentzville Mayor Nick Guccione, St. Charles City Mayor Dan Borgmeyer, O'Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy and Dardenne Prairie Mayor Keith Widaman.