The Grand Boulevard bridge that connects the medical campus to the main campus will be closed for 14 months starting March of next year. The 1,165 foot-long bridge will undergo a $27 million reconstruction after Highway 40 is completed.
“This construction will make it more difficult to get to my medical classes,” freshman Brianne Keller said. “We already wait 20 minutes to get a shuttle and now it will probably take longer.”
Problems with the bridge have been identified by the city of St. Louis prompting the reconstruction, such as the narrow traffic lanes and four feet wide sidewalks that don’t meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Looking at the condition of the bridge’s structure and geometry we [the city] determined that the bridge be reconstructed providing better services for motorists and pedestrians,” Program Engineer for the St. Louis Board of Public Service Bill Early said.
This project will be funded by four federal grants and additional city money. The St. Louis Board of Public Service has been working to inform the University of the project details.
“We have been in communication with SLU during this planning process,” said Early. “The new bridge will be safer and more appealing to use for SLU students.”
The plans for the new bridge were on display in City Hall on Jan. 7 and featured 13-foot wide sidewalks, 6-foot wide bicycle lanes, an improved MetroLink station and turnout lanes for buses. The bridge will feature four wider lanes rather than six.
“SLU is very supportive of the improvements planned for the Grand Bridge and Metro Station,” said University Spokesperson Clayton Berry.
About 30,000 motorists drive the bridge daily. This reconstruction will require them to find alternative routes. Likely detours for shuttles to the Medical Campus would be along Vandeventer or Compton Avenues.
MetroLink trains will continue to operate with a protective covering during the construction on the tracks below. Passengers will be able to reach the platform from Scott Street. The buses that cross the bridge will also be assigned alternative routes.
The Jefferson Avenue bridge and the Chouteau Avenue bridge have also been closed and reopened in similar reconstruction projects.
