By Don Corrigan
Kirkwood residents were well represented at an open house at Fenton City Hall on May 26. That’s because the meeting topic was about a plan for a walking and biking bridge over the Meramec River.
The river bridge would provide a connection from St. Louis County’s Unger Park to Kirkwood’s Greentree Park. The bridge would also link a north-south section of the trail along the river from Fenton, to an east-west section of the trail along the river that ends in Valley Park.
Brian Stith, senior project manager for Great Rivers Greenway (GRG), was on hand with other greenway officials to explain visuals and diagrams about the project, as well as to answer questions from area residents.
“We manage over 140 miles of greenways and we work with more than 265 partners,” said Stith. “We have a lot of greenways now that we are either managing, planning or developing.
“The Meramec Greenway plan began more than 30 years ago,” Stith added. “We continue to focus on making connections – locally, regionally, and really even beyond the region.”
The major partners in the Meramec Greenway Bridge Feasibility Study are Kirkwood, St. Louis County, and Fenton. St. Louis County owns Unger Park at 550 Yarnell Road and its park lake.
The park includes an 18-hole disc golf course with open holes, wooded paths and water hazards in the park and by the river. It also offers hiking and fishing. Unger Park is included in the Meramec River Greenway.
The Great Flood of 1993 did extensive damage to the park and the road closed at the lake parking lot. Following the flood, about 25 properties were acquired in the area between Interstate 44 and the river.
More recent flooding has damaged the hiking and biking trail and rendered it unusable. The realignment project will move the original trail to higher ground away from the river. That new trail would presumably connect to the bridge over the Meramec to Kirkwood.
As part of the feasibility project, GRG was at Fenton City Hall to receive public feedback and record citizen opinions. Comments and requests for information also can be directed to Marla McDonnell at 314-655-1316 or at MMcDonnell@grgstl.org.
Citizen comments at the May 26 meeting, included such concerns as:
• Could money on a new bridge be better spent for trails on the east side of the I-44 bridge, where that bridge’s trail empties onto rough roadway to Emmenegger Park and onto Cragwold Road.
• Would the elaborate trailhead on the east side of the I-44 bridge see more use if a hiking and biking trail were extended to South Geyer Avenue in Kirkwood with an eventual connection to Grant’s Trail in Oakland.
• Would a new hiking and biking bridge across the Meramec decrease the already small number of people using the trailway now built on the north side of the I-44 river bridge.
Most area residents attending the May 26 meeting in Fenton gave high fives to the idea of a new bridge. GRG officials said the feasibility study must determine whether such a bridge is technically, financially and environmentally viable.
“I am all for it,” said Faye Holdenried, past president of the St. Louis Recreational Cyclists. The West County resident said her club members are excited about the new bridge idea.
“When I ride in Fenton, I go to Unger Park, Simpson Park and Minnie Ha Ha Park, but that’s not enough miles for me,” she said. “This bridge connection will take care of that with more miles through Kirkwood and Valley Park.”
Holdenried said she knows bikers who want to get across the Meramec River, but the trail up to the I-44 trail is too steep of a climb for many.
“And where do you go once you get up to the other side of that busy highway bridge?” asked Holdenried. “The trailhead up there is a good place to park and then come down to the greenway at Soccer Park and Unger Park.”
Holdenried said she was pleased that GRG was holding a meeting on the bridge’s feasibility. She said the GRG organization listens to people and is pretty responsive to their concerns.
“Our St. Louis Recreational Cyclists are always ready to try out new trails,” said Holdenried. “A lot of us really would like to see the trail through Kirkwood and Valley Park connect with a trail through to Eureka.”
Environmental Echo 