It was five years ago today when St. Louis closed the 1960s Grand Ave bridge over the railroad tracks so it could be replaced:
The Grand Bridge is scheduled to close from Chouteau Avenue to the I-64 off-ramp on Monday, March 14, 2011. The bridge will close before the morning rush around 5:00 am. The bridge will be closed to traffic for about 14 months; the entire project is expected to be completed in 18-24 months. During that time, the current bridge will be completely removed and replaced. When finished, the project will provide a dramatic facelift to Midtown. (St. Louis)
The old bridge had 3 vehicles lanes in each direction and vary narrow sidewalks.
Looking north from the old transit stop, June 2010
The Grand bridge over I-44 will soon be replaced, though traffic won’t be completely cut off:
The driving surface of the bridge will be completely replaced and the bridge will be raised to meet interstate standards. Although the project will be completed in stages, drivers can expect fewer lanes across the bridge and will not be able to make left turns during construction, MoDOT said.
At least one lane will be open in each direction on Grand during each stage of construction.
Construction is expected to start in June, with all driving lanes expected to be open by the end of the year. (Post-Dispatch)
Work continues on a new kingshighway bridge over the railroad tracks South of I-44, the old bridge closed last July.
Last week a bill moved closer to being placed on the August or November ballot.
The measure would amend the Missouri Constitution to prohibit the government from punishing individuals and businesses that refuse on religious grounds to provide goods or services for marriage ceremonies or celebrations of same-sex couples. (Kansas City Star)
Before this year, and despite being an active voter for 30+ years, I’d never seen a presidential candidate in person. At noon today Republican frontrunner Donald Trump will be speaking at the Peabody Opera House — less than half a mile away from my downtown loft. I won’t go hear him speak — not worth minimal effort.
A week ago, however, I traveled 20+ miles to hear Sen. Bernie Sanders at SIUE’s Vadalabene Center. As I indicated on February 2nd, I already voted for Bernie Sanders via absentee ballot. Today’s post is mostly about my journey there and back via public transit.
You’re probably thinking it took forever, the answer is no & yes. Getting there was as fast as driving, coming back took three times as long.
Each weekday morning the Madison County Transit 16X Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Express makes two pickups from St. Louis, it makes nine drop offs. At 7:02am I caught the first 16x at 6th & Washington Ave. Thirty-six minutes later I was on the SIUE campus.
Driving from my loft would’ve required my husband to use our Enterprise CarShare membership so I could use our car, it would’ve taken 36-41 minutes for me to drive there. With the time it would’ve taken me to walk from parking to the line using my wheelchair on public transit saved me time — and money.
At 7:04am I was on the 16x on WB Washington Ave between Broadway & 6th. There were 5-6 people on the bus — they boarded at Jefferson & PineAt 7:20am we made our first stop, at a Park & Ride lot next to the Gateway Center in Collinsville ILAt 7:28am we stopped at a park & ride lot in Glen Carbon IL. The next stop was Beck Hall at SIUE
Upon arrival at the campus I didn’t stop to photograph — I wanted to get to get in lime at the Vadalabene Center. As I was making my way to the back of the line a volunteer stopped me and said I could follow her to the disabled entrance.
At 7:48am I was almost inside, myself and others who are disabled were able to bypass the long line. Had I driven the walk from the parking lot to the door would’ve been exhausting.I was inside just before 8am. Mr. Sanders began speaking around 10:30am. I could not have been any closer to the stage!I was so close I was the first person to shake his hand after he came off the stage, I took this image just after — 11:29am15 minutes later I was leaving the Vadalabene Center, heading for Beck Hall
I already knew the next express bus to St. Louis wasn’t for another 4 hours — I’d need to take two buses and a train to get home.
A few Madison County Transit buses came by before the next bus I needed,
I had two options:
#19 to Collinsville > #18 to Emerson Park > MetroLink to St. Louis
#4 to Granite City > #5 to Emerson Park > MetroLink to St. Louis
Both were within minutes of each other — just shy of two hours total. Based upon when I arrived, the #2 option via Granite City would be next. While waiting I began talking to someone else who attended the event, we talked much of the way until I got off the train downtown. Turns out he’s married to a woman I’ve known for at least a decade, they live in Webster Groves!
It was worth all the trouble to hear & meet Bernie Sanders! Missouri & Illinois both hold primaries on Tuesday, along with Ohio, Florida, and North Carolina — please vote.
The non-profit STL250, set up to celebrate the city’s 250th in 2014, posted fascinating history during its campaign. I saved links to the ones I thought would be interesting to share on anniversary’s. Today’s was posted in 2013 — about an event sixty years ago today:
This Day in St. Louis History, March 10, 1956: Lambert’s “Ultra modern” airport terminal is dedicated
St. Louis Mayor Raymond Tucker dedicated the new main terminal at Lambert Field, replacing the old terminal that had been built in the 1930s. Minoru Yamasaki designed the four-domed, concrete shell terminal, which would later inspire similar airport designs at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France. Minoru Yamasaki was one of the most prominent architects of the mid-20th century, but two of his projects would meet famously tragic ends – the Pruitt Igoe Housing Complex of St. Louis in 1972 and the World Trade Center Twin Towers of New York on September 11, 2001.
This dawn photograph of the Lambert Main Terminal was taken in June 1956, less than 4 months after its opening. Photograph by Ralph D’Oench, Missouri Historical Society Collections
“This dawn photograph of the Lambert Main Terminal was taken in June 1956, less than 4 months after its opening. Photograph by Ralph D’Oench, Missouri Historical Society Collections”
Yamasaki’s airport commission was around the same time as his commission for Pruitt-Igoe, probably just after.
Many changes inside & out have altered the original clean lines, but it still looks good to my eyes.
Last month, on the 28th, Soldiers’ Memorial closed for a 2-year renovation. Soldier’s Memorial is St. Louis’ tribute to those who died in World War 1.
The Soldiers Memorial Military Museum closed Sunday for a $30 million renovation, with promises of reopening in two years as a functional and inspirational “transformation.”
It is the first lengthy closure of the 80-year-old downtown landmark.
The Missouri Historical Society and local public officials held a flag lowering ceremony Sunday afternoon to mark the occasion. (Post-Dispatch)
The 80th anniversary of the cornerstone isn’t until this fall. It opened to the public on Memorial Day. May 30, 1938.
Mayor Dickman laid the cornerstone on November 11, 1936 — nearly two decades after the end of World War One — less than 3 years before the start of WWII
The project began in the 1920s:
The City of St. Louis created a Memorial Plaza Commission in 1925 to oversee the creation of the Memorial Plaza and Soldiers Memorial. Designed as a memorial to the St. Louis citizens who gave their lives in World War I, the Memorial became Project No. 5098 of the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works. The St. Louis architectural firm Mauran, Russell & Crowell designed the classical Memorial with an art deco flair and St. Louis-born sculptor Walker Hancock created four monumental sculpture groupings entitled Loyalty, Vision, Courage and Sacrifice to flank the entrances. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the site on October 14, 1936 and two years later Soldiers Memorial Military Museum opened to the public on Memorial Day, May 30, 1938. (Missouri History Museum — Soldiers’ Memorial)
In 1925 St. Louis hadn’t begun razing the blocks between Market & Chestnut, 11th and 20th. The Civil Courts building began in 1928, Aloe Plaza in 1931. Demolition of the original city on the bank of the Mississippi River didn’t commence until 1939. A war memorial was what St. Louis’ planner, Harland Bartholomew, needed to justify taking & razing private property just West of the Central Business District.
In February 1909 the block was full of 2-3 story brick buildings. Click image to see Sanborn Map page with this & adjacent blocks
Granted, none of these buildings were notable, no special businesses were displaced. It was rather ordinary, in fact. But this one block contained nearly 50 structures, with entrances on all four streets — it helped generate urban activity. To many born in the late 19th century such blocks were viewed as chaos.
Taking out one active block does little to change the vibrancy of a city, but when it’s repeated over and over it has a hugely negative impact. The 1940 census showed a drop in population — at least partially as a result of massive demolition in the 1930s. At the time they thought the population would continue growing — exceed a million by 1960. They couldn’t see their actions contributing to massive population declines in the coming decades.
The Soldiers’ Memorial building is very formal — especially compared to the nearly 50 buildings that previously occupied the block. Let’s take a look.
The St. Louis flag being lowered on Sunday February 28, 2016The raised platform that surrounds the building is in poor conditionThe raised platform helped elevated the building above the then-bust city sidewalks. The ramp wasn’t installed until this century.At the same time another ramp was built to go from the raised platform into the open center of the buildingThe mosaic tile ceiling in the center is impressiveThis is the East display room on the last day, the casework and detailing are beautifulInterior of the elevator is magnificent — one of my favorites in the cityThe West end of the upstairs is a wonderful meeting room. It hasn’t been used too often because of a lack pf air conditioningGetting to the rest of the 2nd floor requires steps or a non-compliant ramp. Presumably this will be addressed. The terrazzo floors throughout are spectacular
Yes, St. Louis built a war memorial that many disabled veterans couldn’t visit! Not uncommon for the era — the disabled were routinely institutionalized then. Apparently the building had an outdoor mechanical lift that failed in 2004, leaving a disabled vet stranded. It was that event that prompted the effort to build ramps outside.
I love many of the interior details (floors, ceilings, rails, lights, elevator. etc) but they missed the big picture. The outdoor WWII memorial, the Court of Honor, in the block directly south also wasn’t accessible when it opened a decade later on Memorial Day 1948.
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