Bike to Carondelet Park? Proposed Trail Connects to River des Peres

Cyclists and trail enthusiasts in Affton may get add St. Louis City’s Carondelet Park to their itinerary.

The Great Rivers Greenway is planning to add a 0.75-mile trail to connect the River des Peres Greenway and trail to Carondelet Park in South St. Louis city. The proposed route would run from Germania Street north along Interstate 55 to the park and will include an underpass at Loughborough Avenue.

The River des Peres Greenway currently stretches from Landsdowne Avenue to I-55 along the River des Peres. The greenway also has a one-mile neighborhood connector, the Christy Greenway, which extends north from Germania to Holly Hills Boulevard. Once complete, the River des Peres Greenway will serve as a 12-mile recreation and transportation corridor that will eventually stretch from Forest Park to the Mississippi River, linking seven parks, three business districts and six neighborhoods.

With the proposed connector complete, Affton and Shrewsbury residents could bike to Carondelet Park from as far north as the Shrewsbury Metrolink Station—on trails the whole way.

Eventually, the River Des Peres Greenway will connect all the way to Jefferson Barracks via further proposed trails, and into downtown St. Louis via on-street bicycle routes.

Great Rivers Greenway is holding an open house on the project from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Carondelet Park YMCA, 930 Holly Hills Dr. Representatives from Great Rivers Greenway, trail engineers from TranSystems and residents and stakeholders from nearby neighborhoods in South St. Louis City will be there to discuss the conceptual design.

Great Rivers Greenway is a public organization developing an interconnected system of trails and greenways in St. Louis city, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. These linear green spaces are intended to link neighborhoods and communities, increase the economic vitality of the region, preserve nature, provide transportation alternatives and improve health.