MetroLink construction to start May 4

Time to pull out the maps and look for alternate routes. The MetroLink expansion is about to begin.

The official groundbreaking for the Forest Park to Shrewsbury MetroLink project was held April 9, but the public will now see more visible work as roads will soon start to close for construction.

Map and more informationA map, regular updates on street-closings, progress of work and alternate route suggestions are available online at wupa.wustl.edu/metrolink.The first phase of construction will begin westbound on Forest Park Parkway between Big Bend Boulevard and Ritz-Carlton Drive May 4; this section of the parkway will be completely closed to traffic.

Work on the parkway between Ritz-Carlton Drive and Brentwood Boulevard will start in December; and construction along the abandoned railroad right-of-way between the parkway and Clayton Road is scheduled to begin in June 2004.

Also beginning May 4, traffic on Forsyth Boulevard at Forest Park Parkway will be disrupted as construction begins on the Forsyth Station in the parking lot just east of the West Campus Conference Center, where the groundbreaking was held. Although Forsyth will never be completely closed to traffic, there will be periods of significant interruption.

During morning and evening rush hours (before 9 a.m. and after 3 p.m.) a minimum of two lanes on Forsyth — at least one in each direction — will remain open. Between those hours, there will be times when the roadway is reduced to one open lane under the control of a traffic worker.

Two alternate routes to the Hilltop Campus are taking Interstate 170 to Forest Park Parkway, getting off the parkway at Central Avenue and going through downtown Clayton to Forsyth; or taking I-170 to Delmar Boulevard and proceeding onto Big Bend south to Forsyth. The latter avoids the congested traffic often found in downtown Clayton.

In June, the section of the parkway between Big Bend and Skinker Boulevard will be closed as construction of the MetroLink line continues.

Portions of Forest Park Parkway will be closed for up to 26 months — through May 2005. Specific road-closure information will be posted on road signs prior to actual closure.

During the duration of the construction, a temporary roadway along the south side of the parkway will be maintained for University-related traffic. The temporary roadway will provide eastbound access only from Big Bend to Throop Drive and two-way traffic between Throop and Skinker.

The Clayton Police Department has designated Forsyth and Wydown Boulevard as “no-tolerance speed zones,” as safety of non-vehicular traffic on these roads is paramount. Joggers, bicyclists, walkers and children often use the sidewalks and designated bicycle lanes on these roads.

A no-tolerance zone means Clayton police will ticket drivers who go above the posted speed limit of 30 mph. The goal is to reduce the average speed of all vehicles.

After studying the effectiveness of the program, the no-tolerance speed zones might be extended to Brentwood Boulevard and residential streets in the Davis Place subdivision that might see increases in traffic when parts of Forest Park Parkway are closed.

Road and ramp closures Forest Park Parkway closings:

  • Westbound Big Bend to Ritz-Carlton May 4, 2003
  • Eastbound Central to Big Bend May 4, 2003
  • Big Bend to Skinker June 2003
  • Westbound Ritz-Carlton to Central Sept. 2003
  • Eastbound Brentwood to Central May 2004
  • Westbound Central to Brentwood May 2004
  • Eastbound Bemiston on-ramp May 4, 2003
  • Westbound Ritz-Carlton on-ramp Sept. 2003
  • Eastbound Central off-ramp May 2004
  • Westbound Meramec on-ramp May 2004

Shaw Park Drive closings:

  • Hanley to Central Dec. 2003

These dates are tentative and are subject to change. Specific road closure information will be posted on road signs prior to the actual closures.