A new MetroLink station will open in St. Louis’ Cortex Innovation Community later this month.
The light-rail stop is located on the east side of Boyle Avenue between the existing Central West End and Grand stations. It’s part of a $15.4-million project to update transportation options surrounding the St. Louis tech hub. The station marks Metro Transit’s first construction project built with both private and public funding.
Metro Transit spokesperson Patti Beck said the stop will support Cortex’s growth as a tech hub.
“Parking is at a premium. So there is a great need to move the current workforce and the future workers who will be located there, giving them an alternative transportation option.”
On July 31, Metro will hold a dedication and grand-opening ceremony for the station and the first completed quarter-mile section of the Chouteau Greenway. The greenway trail is located just north of the Cortex Station and will eventually connect Forest Park to the Gateway Arch.
The dedication also marks the 25th anniversary of MetroLink’s opening.
A $10.3-million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation provided the bulk of the funding. The rest came from the City of St. Louis, Great Rivers Greenway and private partners, including BJC HealthCare, Washington University and Cortex.
Beck said that St. Louis’ transit agencies are exploring ways to use similar funding models for transportation projects. “It’s a model, and an opportunity for the future.”
A 2014 project proposal estimated that the new station could see 900 train boardings each day.
In the next phase in the transportation project, Metro will extend the boarding platform at the Central West End stop. Construction will begin in August and last about six months but the station will remain in service, according to Beck.
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Correction: The Central West End metro station will remain in service during construction. A previous St. Louis Public Radio report stated an incorrect closure plan.
