Page Avenue Bridge Brings New Highway Access the Highly Anticipated Opening of Blanchette Bridge, Which Currently Make St
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WINTER 2003 Drive Time Page Avenue Bridge Brings New Highway Access The highly anticipated opening of Blanchette Bridge, which currently make St. Charles County a prime a new river crossing linking St. carries in excess of 200,000 vehicles choice for companies seeking to Charles and St. Louis counties is daily. The bridge will benefit resi- expand or relocate. The added almost here. The Page Avenue dents of both St. Charles and St. bridge will also aid tourism and Extension will soon provide traffic Louis counties as drivers determine entertainment venues such as The relief for commuters crossing the the route most advantageous for their Family Arena, parks, historic loca- Missouri River when the Missouri drive to and from work and other tions and other county amenities. Department of Transportation destinations. The new river crossing will (MoDOT) opens the tied-arch bridge Economic benefits are expected accommodate recreational benefits as structure next month. December when improved travel between the well. In 2004, hikers, bikers and 13th marks this significant date in two counties facilitates access to runners will enjoy a dedicated the region’s transportation history employment, commerce and shop- bikepath connecting the KATY Trail and represents the completion of the ping locations; spurring new business to Creve Coeur Lake Park in St. first phase of the $325 million proj- development along Highway 94 and Louis County. The trail will be on ect. across the county. The logistics pro- the westbound bridge segment, sepa- St. Charles County Executive Joe vided by the Page Avenue extension rate and below vehicle traffic, and Ortwerth said, “The opening will include an overlook of Page to motorists is an area for a relaxing river historic moment. St. view. Charles Countians have Preparations in St. looked forward to this proj- Charles County have been ect for decades. When underway for quite some MoDOT opens the bridge time to welcome the next month, both counties future connection to Page will enter a whole new Avenue. Together, St. transportation era.” Charles County The Page Bridge is a 10- Government, regional lane structure joining two of leaders and MoDOT have the largest counties in the worked diligently to state. Officially designated assure the smoothest tran- as the Veterans Memorial sition possible for passage Bridge, the river crossing is from Page Avenue onto expected to carry from 60- arterial and feeder roads. 80,000 vehicles per day in its St. Charles County Executive Joe Ortwerth joins MoDOT Land was acquired, road- early years. Most of this traffic and St. Louis County officials in October 2003 to ways redesigned and will be diverted from the announce the Page Avenue extension opening. See Page Avenue, page 7 County Executive’s Message ...................... 2 Council Comments ........................................... 5 Workforce Development .............................. 3 Holiday Recycling ............................................ 5 Family Arena Events ..................................... 4 St. Charles County Online ............................... 6 Executive Message The Page Avenue Bridge Saga It all started on a Tuesday, the After two years of vigorous lobby- 27th of November, 1984, at what ing, the commission gave the project used to be the Mark Twain Bank the green light in the fall of 1986. It facility in Harvester. At the time I was the first time the Highway was a newly elected state representa- Department had ever approved a tive. At my urging, the county’s state project with no idea how they would County Executive Joe Ortwerth legislative delegation had gathered to fund it. The next spring, Missouri announce the creation of the Page voters approved Proposition A ( a on the project began. Interior Avenue Bridge Committee. There four-cent gas tax increase) which Secretary Bruce Babbitt ordered a began the nearly 20-year campaign included funding for the Page proj- whole new round of environmental to build the Page Avenue Extension. ect. St. Charles County voters over- studies (lasting another three years) Talk of a Page Avenue bridge had whelmingly endorsed the proposition and an extreme amount of land miti- occurred in previous decades. The with an astounding 78% of the vote. gation for “intrusion” into the park. project had never gotten off the For the next six years the project After nearly nine years of “moth- ground because St. Louis and St. wandered through the wilderness er-may-I” appeals to insensible and Charles counties had different priori- known as the federal government. insufferable federal obstructionists, ties for a new river crossing. In the File cabinets full of documentation the U.S. Government approved the meantime, the proposed corridor in were furnished to numerous federal project in the fall of 1995. Two St. Charles County (which would agencies to justify the project and years of detailed engineering and have extended Page to Interstate 70 address supposed environmental design ensued and in the summer of near the old weight scales) was impacts. Federal bureaucrats offered 1997 construction work actually erased by the development of the resistance at every step. State high- began. Then yet another effort to City of St. Peters. In pulling the way officials agreed to make major sabotage the project began, and this project off the shelf, it was going to improvements to Creve Coeur Lake time it was anything but surrepti- be necessary to start it from scratch. and expand Creve Coeur Park. The tious. Political interests opposed to The new citizens committee bridge design committee (on which I the growth of St. Charles County worked with the state legislative del- served) recommended construction mounted a petition drive to obtain a egation to build the case and mobi- of a bike trail on the bridge to link a public vote on the granting of ease- lize public support for the new river new bikepath around Creve Coeur ments necessary to construct the crossing. Studies were conducted Park with the KATY Trail in St. project through Creve Coeur Park. that documented the critical need for Charles County. With the help of the St. Louis the new bridge to alleviate soaring When push came to shove, the RCGA, Civic Progress and the Home traffic volumes on I-70. The studies federal government refused to allow Builders Association (long-time revealed that without a new bridge the highway to go through the park, See Executive Message, page 7 the day would come when it would breaking a promise made to St. Louis not be possible to move morning and County several years before. It took evening rush-hour traffic loads with- a literal act of Congress sponsored out extending the rush hour to last all by then Senator Jack Danforth to is a publication of day long. It was my strong convic- authorize construction to go forward St. Charles County Government tion that the inevitable paralysis of over the federal official’s objections. FOCUS Newsletter I-70 would severely threaten the By the end of 1992, the project Governmental Comm. Dept. county’s excellent quality of life and was ready for final clearance by fed- 201 North Second Street, Rm 227 its future economic prosperity. eral authorities. However, lower- St. Charles, MO 63301 In February 1985, the Missouri level bureaucrats hostile to the proj- 636-949-1890 Highway and Transportation ect held up the final paperwork long www.saintcharlescounty.org [email protected] Commission authorized an updated enough for the Clinton administra- review of the need for the new bridge. tion to assume office and new attacks 2 St. Charles County Government 100 North Third Street St. Charles, MO 63301 Workforce Development Career Center Offers Vast Employment Resources Job searchers and corporations Don Holt, St. Charles County’s review the resumes and skills of alike can find needed opportunities Director of Workforce Development. potential applicants, evaluate local through the employment-related The Department of Workforce labor data and regulatory informa- services available from St. Charles Development is funded mostly tion, conduct interviews, host spe- County’s Department of Workforce through state and federal grants cialized training courses and even Development. Operating as the awarded under the Workforce partner with the Department of Missouri Career Center in St. Peters, Investment Act. St. Charles County Workforce Development to provide the department offers a one-stop- Government provides additional services to furloughed employees. shop for businesses in search of monies to augment the center’s oper- Some companies have also worked employees and job candidates who ation. Together these funds allow the with the Career Center on outplace- are seeking their first job, their next facility to provide assistance to more ment assistance and tax incentive job or career advancement opportuni- than 25,000 job seekers and numer- programs. ties. Nearly 2,100 people visit the ous companies each year. Dual Benefit center located at 2020 Parkway Job Hunting Workforce Development employ- Persons who seek their next job ees also work with state agencies to opportunity will appreciate the coordinate regional job fairs held resources available from the throughout the metropolitan area Department of Workforce approximately every eight weeks. Development. The Career Center The expositions offer opportunities offers all of the tools required for for job seekers and corporations from success in a job search: access to job St. Charles, St. Louis, Jefferson and leads, a job-search library, comput- Franklin counties. These events ers, telephones, Internet and fax attract more than 600 job candidates capabilities, and training programs to and 75 to 90 employers. Smaller job help an appli- fairs are held at the Career Center cant maxi- monthly to allow 10 to 12 companies mize their hir- to meet with potential employees on Regional job fairs are just one of the many services ing potential. a smaller scale. Both types of job provided by St.