St. Louis railroad trestle to be converted to trail

According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch story, the Great Rivers Greenway is planning to build an unusual elevated trail in the St. Louis area:

The agency bought the mile-long trestle north of downtown two years ago for $1.5 million and wants to make it an elevated trail for bicyclists and pedestrians, spruced up with vegetation and self-generating electrical systems.

"With such a unique asset, this could really become a signature attraction for the region," said Todd Antoine, deputy director of planning for the Great Rivers Greenway District. . . .

Its plan for the mile-long trestle would connect city streets near Cass and North Florissant avenues by an overhead ride to the riverfront bike trail, near the McKinley Bridge over the Mississippi. That bridge, another legacy of the Illinois Terminal, has been redecked for vehicles and bicycles and is to reopen next month. . . .

Antoine said that only New York and Paris now have city trail systems running atop old railroad trestles. He said the Greenway District didn't have a price tag for the project but would like to begin construction within five years. He said the meeting was to seek public comment before beginning detailed design work.