St. Charles moves forward with trail plan

St. Charles is considering building a tunnel under a busy intersection. The tunnel would be part of the city's trails plan:

Williams said a tunnel is justified by the degree of traffic at the intersection, which the city has scheduled for rebuilding. He said even more demand will occur once Lindenwood University's planned fine arts center opens on the north side of the intersection.

"It's busy now," he said. "It's going to get busier."

He added that Lindenwood "has offered us a way to get through campus" with part of the bike trail.

The citywide plan, called Pathways and estimated to cost a total of $35 million, was proposed two years ago by a consulting firm hired by the city. The goal is to connect existing trails, such as the state-run Katy Trail along the Missouri River and those in city parks, with neighborhoods, schools and commercial districts.

City officials say the idea is to gradually construct parts of the trail network, often as part of street improvements nearby.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch article has examples of trails that have been built as part of the plan, such as an 8 foot path on one side of the 5th street extension.