River des Peres -Gravois Greenway connection creates 21.5 miles of continuous ADA accessible greenway linking St. Louis City and County, seven municipalities, eight parks, two libraries, recreation facilities, a MetroLink Stop, historic sites, neighborhoods and businesses along the way
The wait is over for St. Louisans ready to explore all 21.5 miles of the Gravois (Grant’s Trail) and River des Peres Greenways. The final connection linking both greenways—a walking and biking bridge over the River des Peres—opened Saturday, October 10, 2020. Area residents can now walk, ride a bike, push a stroller or use a wheel chair on 21.5 miles of connected greenway all the way from Kirkwood to Carondelet Park, the Shrewsbury Lansdowne MetroLink station, Grant’s Farm, as well as neighborhoods, businesses, historic sites, schools, libraries and other destinations along the way.
The bridge is the missing piece needed to connect both greenways. A 1.6 mile extension of the Gravois Greenway from Hoffmeister Ave. to River City Blvd opened in June 2020, but the bridge itself was delayed for nearly a year due to historic flooding. The new ADA accessible route features a boardwalk and restored wetland between Hoffmeister and Avenue I, where it continues parallel to northbound I-55. A 600-foot pedestrian bridge spanning Bayless Avenue and an underpass beneath Weber Rd. provide seamless connections through busy intersections and keep greenway users separate from vehicle traffic as they walk or ride. Two neighborhood connections at Bayless Avenue and Tesson Street make it easy for people in surrounding neighborhoods to access the new greenway on foot or bike. There is also a greenway recycling hub at the Republic Recycling Facility adjacent to the greenway; people can learn more about recycling while depositing their plastic, glass, paper and aluminum cans directly into the recycling stream.
The bridge is located just east of the northbound exit ramp of Interstate Highway 55 at River City Blvd, between Primm St. and Tesson St. It spans the River des Peres and connects to the River des Peres Greenway which runs parallels to Germania Ave.
“It has taken a lot of planning, partnership and creativity to deliver the greenway connection people have been asking for,” says Susan Trautman, Great Rivers Greenway’s Chief Executive Officer. “It’s a short but powerful connection that links 21.5 miles of greenway across St. Louis City and County, inviting people to have great experiences commuting, exercising and getting some fresh air with their families and friends. Hope to see you out on the greenway soon!”
The new greenway is a public-private collaboration funded with a combination of transportation grants, private philanthropic donations and local sales tax dollars. In addition to Great Rivers Greenway, project partners include St. Louis County Parks, City of St. Louis Parks Department and Board of Public Service, Missouri Department of Transportation, Ameren Missouri, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, and Republic Services. Learn more about the Gravois Greenway project and experience the virtual ribbon cutting, with remarks from partners and a video overview of the new miles here.
