By KERRY SMITH, EDITOR, ST. LOUIS CONSTRUCTION NEWS AND REVIEW MAGAZINE
Last week the Pagedale Community, Great Rivers Greenway and project partners celebrated the opening of the St. Vincent Greenway’s expansion along St. Charles Rock Road.
The new paved, accessible pathway connects Pagedale residents to the Rock Road Transit Center and the existing greenway in St. Vincent County Park. The expansion was constructed alongside the Missouri Dept. of Transportation’s recent improvements to St. Charles Rock Road, leveraging taxpayer dollars by building both the greenway and roadway expansions at the same time.
Additional project partners for the greenway expansion are Metro Transit/Bi-State Development, St. Louis County Parks and MoDOT’s St. Louis District.
“The greenway transforms the connection between the park and the transit center into a safer and more enjoyable experience,” said Susan Trautman, CEO of Great Rivers Greenway. “This project represents one more piece to connect the St. Vincent Greenway so people can use all seven miles of greenway to connect between Forest Park and the University of Missouri St. Louis. With six train stations, many bus stops and dozens of destinations along the way, the greenway gives people more choices.”
Tom Blair, MoDOT St. Louis District engineer, says partnerships like this one between MoDOT and Great Rivers Greenway satisfy transportation needs. “This is the kind of project that will serve more people, save taxpayers money and reduce construction impacts upon the community by combining efforts.”
Blair says MoDOT’s roadway improvements here are part of the agency’s larger improvement plan for St. Charles Rock Road.
On August 5, 10 a.m. at Trojan Park, another new section of the St. Vincent Greenway – that was also recently completed in Wellston – will celebrate its completion.
