MetroSouth Corridor

The MetroSouth Corridor is a proposed light rail alignment for the St. Louis MetroLink light rail system in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The proposed alignment would extend the Blue Line southwards from its current terminus at Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 to as far as Butler Hill Rd.

MetroSouth Corridor
Overview
LocaleGreater St. Louis
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemSt. Louis MetroLink
Operator(s)Bi-State Development Agency
Technical
Line length12 miles (19 km)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)

History

Planning for the MetroSouth Corridor began in 1993 with the initial study of the Cross County Corridor which analyzed alternatives to improve north-south movements through the central portion of St. Louis County.[1] The resulting light rail alternatives from this study were then broken up into three segments: segment 1 became the Blue Line and was completed in 2006, segment 2 became the MetroSouth Corridor, and segment 3 became the MetroNorth Corridor.[2]

Detailed planning and environmental impact study of the MetroSouth corridor south of Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 began in 2002 and was completed in 2005,[3] but a final decision on a locally preferred alternative was deferred due to the lack of a source of funding.[4]

Proposed alternatives

At the conclusion of the MetroSouth study in 2005, three primary alignment alternatives remained under consideration: the Blue alternative, the Orange alternative, and the Purple alternative. From the Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 station, the Blue alternative would run southwards adjacent to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railway terminating near Kenrick Plaza or continue to South County Center and then adjacent to I-55 terminating at Butler Hill Rd. The Orange alternative would follow the River des Peres until reaching I-55 where it turns to follow the highway southwards terminating at either Reavis Barracks Rd or Butler Hill Rd. The Purple alternative would extend the Blue Line by only 1 station, following the River des Peres and Watson Rd before terminating near Kenrick Plaza.[4]

Alignment alternativeLengthStationsProjected ridershipCost (2010 dollars)
Purple1.5 miles (2.4 km)1550 - 600$83 - $91 million
Blue (Watson Rd)1.1 miles (1.8 km)1550 - 600$630 - $700 million
Blue (Butler Hill)8.5 miles (13.7 km)59,500 - 10,500$630 - $700 million
Orange (Reavis Barracks)6.9 miles (11.1 km)47,100 - 7,500$307 - $340 million
Orange (Butler Hill)11.0 miles (17.7 km)69,000 - 9,900$587 - $649 million

References
  1. "St. Louis (Cross County Corridor)". Federal Transit Administration. Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  2. "Situation Assessment for the Community Engagement Process" (PDF). East-West Gateway. 23 July 1998. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  3. "MetroSouth - Timeline". Metro South Study. Archived from the original on 4 September 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  4. "East-West Gateway Board Defers Selection of MetroLink Alternative for Metro South Study Area" (PDF). East-West Gateway. 3 November 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
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