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Southwest Illinois News is designed & hosted by the Moore Design Group. How To Reach Us: St. Louis Front Page P.O. Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To advertise, contact: advertising@slfp.com To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com |
By Bob Moore, SLFP.com VENICE, IL (SWI-NEWS.com), June 8, 2008 - "You couldn't ask for a more beautiful day for a beautiful event for the city, county, region and the two states - Missouri and Illinois", stated City of Venice Mayor Avery Ware, prior to opening festivities of the McKinley Bridge Bikeway, Saturday, June 7. The McKinley Bridge Bikeway is a 2,600-ft. long by 14-ft. wide cantilevered lane separated from vehicular traffic lanes on the McKinley Bridge, built in 1910 by the Illinois Traction System to bring its tracks into St. Louis. It is only the second bicycle/pedestrian bridge to open over the Mississippi River in St. Louis, preceded by Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. The bikeway is a unique and distinctive feature of the reconstructed bridge that was reopened for vehicular traffic last November. Revitalization began in 2004, when the City of Venice, the Land Reutilization Authority of the City of St. Louis, Madison County, St. Clair County, Madison County Transit and Metro (Bi-State Development Agency) agreed to purchase the bonds and resolve the unpaid taxes on the McKinley Bridge, which had been closed since 2001 after falling into disrepair.
"We want to continue to build on this as we're trying to redevelop our city at the same time," stated Mayor Ware. He noted that the city was aggressively working on trying to attract new businesses, including a business from Missouri that is looking to relocate in the City of Venice. "Some of the interest is coming from the opening of the bridge. Although it's a bit slow now, we know it's all going to come together as we get everything in place as we need," he said enthusiastically. "Here in Venice, we tell people, never say never to those who said it would never happen. We focus on the positive and find ways to make it happen," stated Mayor Ware. City of Madison Mayor John W. Hamm, III, said that the project was good for everyone in the region. "These bicycle things are important to people. I see more and more people in my city riding bicycles everyday. The way this will tie in with the Schoolhouse Trail that goes all the way up to Edwardsville and the Riverfront Trail on the Missouri side is a great thing for the community." Mayor Hamm stated that the City of Madison owns the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, which is leased by Trailnet. "That's another bridge that people like to get out and walk." The Great Rivers Greenway District provided $7 million for the bikeway and $4 million for the Trestle at Branch Street in Missouri, with the Metro East Park and Recreation District contributing $950,000 toward the bikeway and the construction of a connecting trail that links into the McKinley Bridge Roadside Park on the Illinois side. In a statement, Mike Buehlhorn, Executive Director for the Metro East Park and Recreation District, said reconnecting Madison County and St. Louis City across the McKinley Bridge is a vital link in the plans for developing a region-wide system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails. "The Mississippi River has served as a barrier between communities and residents for far too long, and the re-use of the existing infrastructure transforms the project beyond a simple bridge crossing into a concrete example of what can be created with the spirit of cooperation." Wesley Faulker, a member of the MS150 charity bicycle team from Barnes-Jewish hospital in St. Louis, said they often ride the Riverfront Trail in Missouri to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge and then cross over to Illinois. "With the new McKinley Bridge Bikeway, I think we can knock ten miles off the ride each way and spend time actually riding the Madison County trails which are flat and well maintained. We have hills every place in Missouri, so this is nice ride for people whose fitness isn't great for the hill climbing necessary for riding in Missouri," laughed Faulker. "This is nicer than the Chains of Rocks Bridge." See archived related story: St. Louis Region Wins 2008 All-American City Award 
The St. Louis Front Page and Southwest Illinois News is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan St. Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group. |
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