Kingshighway Viaduct Plan Requires Revision, Offers Misguided Shaw Boulevard Realignment

The replacement of the Kingshighway viaduct between I-44 and Vandeventer Avenue has been necessary for some time. The crumbling 1936 structure is well past its anticipated lifespan and anyone driving this section of Kingshighway has experienced the blood pressure spike that comes along with the quick climb and descent of the viaduct's narrow lanes. A replacement is necessary and offers the opportunity to address adjacent issues with Shaw Bouleavard and Daggett Avenue. Unfortunately, the initial plan presented by the City of St. Louis at a recent public meeting gets it wrong.

The 720-foot viaduct carries more than 34,000 vehicles daily. As of a 2010 inspection, the structure has been labeled "structurally deficient". The replacement will remain six lanes, with three widened standard 12-foot lanes in each direction. Sidewalks, where none currently exist, will be added, as will an additional street south of O'Connell's Pub. This is where the initial proposal take a wrong turn.