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   Baseball fans who plan to go downtown for today's opening day festivities may find their usual route to Busch Stadium blocked.  St. Louis Police are advising revelers to leave early because of road changes and closures due to construction of Ballpark Village.  

• 8th Street is now a two-way street between Clark and Market with two north and southbound lanes.
• Temporary stop signs are currently in place at the intersections of 8th Street and Clark, as well as 8th Street and Walnut.
• Walnut is now a two-way street between 8th Street and Broadway, with one westbound lane and two eastbound lanes.
• 7th Street is no longer in existence.

   Pedestrians should also note that the pedestrian bridge between the Stadium West garage and the ballpark has been removed.  

   Those choosing to drive are urged to “park smart” — park in well-lit, populated areas, concealing valuables by placing them in compartments or in the vehicle’s trunk prior to arrival. The department strongly encourages citizens to leave firearms at home. Events such as baseball games are no place for firearms, as they are not allowed inside Busch Stadium and leaving them in a vehicle creates opportunity for criminals. Don’t let your legal firearm become an illegal firearm.

   Event-goers are also advised to remain aware of their surroundings and if choosing to consume alcohol, are urged to drink responsibly. Criminals often target those who appear to be most vulnerable, including those who might be intoxicated.

   There will be a significant law enforcement presence in all areas surrounding Downtown and Busch Stadium. We strongly encourage anyone who sees criminal or suspicious activity to alert a nearby officer or dial 9-1-1.

Over 20,000 runners will be downtown this weekend for the Go! St. Louis Marathon events and that means road closures.

 

On 64/40, MoDOT will close several ramps including westbound ramps to Forest Park, Market, and 21 st Street--those ramps will close at 5AM on Sunday and reopen by 3PM. Eastbound closures include ramps to Market and Chestnut. Those closures will last from 5AM until around 3PM. 

 

Here are other road closures:

 

Market between Tucker and 18th St. will be closed 4:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The stretch between Tucker and Broadway will be closed between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.

 

Pine St. from Tucker to 14th will be closed from midnight Sunday to 5 p.m.

 

13th St. from Market to Pine will be closed between midnight and 5 p.m.

 

Forest Park between Compton and Union will be closed between 7:15 a.m. and 1 p.m.

 

Vandeventer will be closed between Forest Park and Lindell from 7:15 a.m to 1 p.m.

 

There will be no southbound travel on Union from Delmar to Lindell between 8:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

 

There will be no eastbound travel on Delmar between Skinker and Union from 8:25 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

As temperatures dip, refreezing of melted snow is becoming a problem on area roads across the bi-state area.

Several accident forced Illinois officials to close the eastbound span of the Jefferson Barracks Wednesday evening. Several cars had slid into the guard rail.

Missouri State troopers closed a portion of Highway 21 in Jefferson County after slick roads caused a multi-vehicle accident along 21 near Schenk Road.

Also, Highway 61 was closed at Wilson Road, about 10 miles north Troy, Missouri after several vehicles slid off the road, some overturning.

The National Weather Services issued a special weather statement Wednesday evening advising drivers to use extra caution, especially on bridges and untreated roadways.