The St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) Board of Trustees approved a contract with Gonzalez Companies, LLC, for the design and construction oversight of the $96 million, 5.5-mile light rail expansion project from the Shiloh-Scott MetroLink Station to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. This project will be completed in partnership with Bi-State Development/Metro Transit and funded through Governor Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois Plan passed in 2019.
The extension of the MetroLink Light Rail System into St. Clair County, Ill., from the existing passenger station at 5th & Missouri in East St. Louis to the main terminal at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport was designed in the late 1990s. However, due to funding limitations, only the portion of the extension from the 5th & Missouri Station to Shiloh-Scott Station was constructed. This left the portion of the extension from the Shiloh-Scott Station to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport as fully designed but not constructed.
Recently, St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern and the SCCTD Board of Trustees made the decision to pursue the completion of the extension of the MetroLink Light Rail System from its current terminus to a new terminus at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. Along with this 5.5-mile mainline extension, an access roadway connecting to Reider Road will be constructed, adjacent to the extension.
“We are excited to partner with local firm Gonzalez Companies on this project,” said Herb Simmons, Chair of the St. Clair County Board of Trustees. “They bring years of light rail experience to the table and will serve in the project management oversite capacity during the design and construction phases to ensure continuity throughout the project build.”
This MetroLink extension will provide transportation services to the growing MidAmerica St. Louis Airport that is home to numerous businesses including Allegiant Airlines, Boeing, Aviation Materials and Technical Support (AVMATS), the Army National Guard and North Bay Produce.
To learn more about the St. Clair County Transit District, visit www.scctd.org.
About St. Clair County Transit District
Founded in 1981, St. Clair County Transit District oversees 11 MetroLink stations and 18 bus routes in St. Clair County, Ill. If commuters have questions about service, they can call (618) 628-8090 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, visit www.scctd.org.