The Trestle is an 1.5 mile abandoned railroad alignment purchased by Great Rivers Greenway.  It is the same railroad alignment that connects from the McKinley Bridge to Branch Street and was renovated in 2007 as part of the McKinley Bridge Bikeway.  

The Trestle project begins at Branch Street where it will connect with the Riverfront Trail and the existing McKinley Bridge Bikeway.  The Trestle is elevated above North Market Street adjacent to Produce Row, the City's fruit and vegetable wholesale district and continues as it crosses over Interstate 70.  Offering views of downtown St. Louis, the Mississippi River and the adjacent neighborhoods.  The Trestle touches down near the intersection of Howard and Hadley Avenues just north of the new Mississippi River Bridge.  

For more information on the vision for the Trestle, please view the Trestle Brochure listed in the Related Documents section. 

Status

Great Rivers Greenway purchased the Trestle in 2005 and in 2007 initiated work to develop a conceptual plan for developing the trestle into a linear public park and greenway.   Over the past several years, detailed engineering plans have been prepared in anticipation of construction.  

In 2010, Great Rivers Greenway hired a construction management firm to work with the design team to recommend strategies to construct the project in phases as well as identify construction methods for renovating the elevated deck.  It was identified that the Trestle could be constructed in two phases and Great Rivers Greenway is determining the best strategy to move towards construction in the next several years.  

In mid 2011, Great Rivers Greenway began work to develop plans to paint the portion of the Trestle over Interstate 70.  The painting of the Trestle has been underway during the summer of 2012 and will be completed by October 2012.  

Great Rivers Greenway is also working on identifying trail connections from both ends of the elevated segment of the Trestle to improve the connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists.  Branch Street at the northern end of the Trestle would provide a connection from the neighborhoods west of I-70 to the Trestle, the McKinley Bridge Bikeway and the Riverfront Trail.  The District is currently working with the City of St. Louis, the Missouri Dept of Transportation, residents, businesses and community leaders on plans to establish a safe and accessible pedestrian and bicycle path along Branch Street Street.  

On the southern end of the Trestle, Great Rivers Greenway is working with the City of St. Louis to identify a bicycle and pedestrian path that would connect the Trestle at the intersection of Howard and Hadley Streets towards downtown St. Louis.   Preliminary planning is underway on this segment. 

Partners City of St. Louis, Grace Hill Neighborhood Services, Missouri Department of Transportation 

The Trestle