Grand MetroLink Station Transit Plaza
In conjunction with the City of St. Louis Grand Bridge replacement
The City of St. Louis is currently working on the reconstruction of the Grand Boulevard Viaduct, the bridge which carries Grand over the MetroLink tracks. The bridge was officially closed to traffic on March 14, 2011. The bridge closure, of course, impacts MetroLink and MetroBus trips.
The Grand MetroLink Station has been closed to facilitate this project. MetroLink passengers who wish to connect with the #70 Grand Bus should do so at the Union Station MetroLink Station. The City of St. Louis has already eliminated parking on Scott Avenue for the duration of the project.
While the City works on the bridge overhead, Metro is taking this opportunity to improve the Grand MetroLink Station area below, on Scott Avenue.
The Grand MetroLink Station, as seen from the old Grand bridge.
This project includes improvements on the new Grand Bridge as well as the construction of a new park and ride lot and a transit plaza on Scott Avenue, which runs perpendicular to Grand underneath the bridge. The project is funded by FTA-provided capital grants and local match funds.
The City's project on Grand will replace the current six lanes with four divided lanes (with a landscaped center median), wider sidewalks, and better lighting. On-bridge improvements for Metro include:
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Metro will be adding wind and rain shelters for Metro customers;
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The City is constructing bus pullouts that will get buses out of traffic when they stop;
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We're moving the transit stop further north, closer to the end of the bridge and the main SLU campus.
Down below, the new transit plaza will be constructed underneath the new bridge where the current bridge piers are located. Because it will be under the bridge structure, the new plaza will be protected from weather. The new plaza will include:
- Seating;
- A vending area;
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Landscaping and new lighting, including lit paving stones and lit artwork;
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A new bus turnout area between the MetroLink Station and the new plaza;
- New elevator and stair tower structures that connect the plaza below to the bridge bus stops above.
The elevator/stair towers will be removed from the MetroLink platform and relocated north so that they touch down in the new plaza, which will open up the MetroLink platform and provide better visibility for MetroLink operators as they approach the station. The new parking lot will accommodate approximately 60 cars.
Metro is working with an artist, Barbara Grygutis, who has helped make the design of the plaza more “organic” and welcoming, with touches like a decorative iron fence and using different colored paving stones, including some clear blue stones that will be lit from below with LED lights. Ms. Grygutis will also create a lit art piece in her unique style that will help enhance the area. Ms. Grygutis’s work on the project is funded from the 1% public art and enhancement funds as required by federal guidelines.
How will this project affect me?
Passengers will be impacted by the bridge demolition and reconstruction project, but Metro is working to minimize the disruption to patrons. Metro’s original plans to build a temporary platform extension and keep the station open have now been changed. Customers preferred boarding the #70 Grand Bus at Union Station, as they did during the temporary station closures, than to use the temporary bus turnaround at the junction of Scott & Theresa Avenues.
#70 Grand passengers are able to connect with MetroLink at Union Station.In light of these customer concerns and a desire to keep our customers as safe as possible, we have closed the Grand MetroLink station for an unspecified period. This avoids disrupting customers by opening and closing the station around the project’s schedule.
At this time, there are no MetroBus routes serving the Grand MetroLink station and the station remains closed. #70 Grand passengers are able to connect with MetroLink at Union Station.
Metro will continue to notify passengers well in advance of any service impacts, including the bus bridge, through platform announcements, MetroLink's Rider Alert RSS feed, and other mechanisms.
Project Contractors
More Information
New Steel Structures Come into View near MetroLink Station at Grand and Scott, NextStop Blog, December 14, 2011
Grand MetroLink Station/Scott Transit Plaza – Progress as Promised, NextStop Blog, November 8, 2011
RIDER ALERT: #70 Grand Bus Will Be Rerouted to Union Station Until the New Grand Bridge Project is Finished, NextStop Blog, July 5, 2011
Grand MetroLink Station Will Remain Closed, NextStop Blog, June 1, 2011
Scott Avenue at Grand MetroLink Station to Close for 8 Weeks, NextStop Blog, April 18, 2011
Grand Bridge Demolition March 25-27: What Transit Riders Need To Know, NextStop Blog, March 24, 2011
A Grand Demolition! Photos from Grand Bridge & Elevator Towers Demolition March 19-20, NextStop Blog, March 22, 2011
Grand Bridge Demolition! Bus Bridge Shuttles From CWE to Civic Center March 19-20, NextStop Blog, March 17, 2011
"Bus Bridge" Shuttles for MetroLink Next Three Weekends in March, NextStop Blog, March 8, 2011
MetroBus Quarterly Service Changes Coming Monday, March 14 (details bus reroutes for Grand construction), NextStop Blog, March 3, 2011
City of St. Louis, Metro Announce Grand Bridge Construction Begins March 14, NextStop Blog, March 1, 2011
Grand Bridge Construction - What's In Store for Metro Transit Riders, NextStop Blog, February 18, 2011
Special MetroLink Schedule Jan. 29-30 in Prep for Grand Bridge Demolition, NextStop Blog, January 28, 2011
Grand MetroLink Station Project Update, NextStop Blog, January 7, 2011
City Readies for bridge replacement near Grand and 40, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 23, 2010
A Grand New MetroLink Station: Scott Avenue Transit Plaza Project, NextStop Blog, March 10, 2010
Grand Detour Coming Soon, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 13, 2009
A Grand Closing, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 8, 2009