South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Ribbon-cutting event to mark opening of Carondelet Connector

Area residents soon will have a safer, off-road trail that connects the River des Peres Greenway, the stores and restaurants of Loughborough Commons and surrounding neighborhoods to Carondelet Park, according to a news release.

The new trail, known as the Carondelet Connector, will officially open Saturday, June 7, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Great Rivers Greenway District. The event will take place at 9 a.m. in the park at Holly Hills and Grand, near the Carondelet Park YMCA Rec Complex.

The Carondelet Connector links the River des Peres Greenway trail at Germania and Interstate 55 to Carondelet Park. The one-mile segment provides access to Loughborough Commons and extends to the established trail system within Carondelet Park, joining near the intersection of Hilly Hills and Grand Drive.

“The Carondelet Connector trail offers area residents a safer, more accessible way to travel on foot or bike between the River des Peres Greenway, local neighborhoods, businesses and Carondelet Park,” Susan Trautman, executive director of Great Rivers Greenway, stated in the news release. “While the trail is only one mile in length, the benefits to the surrounding neighborhood are multiplied by linking together so many amenities. This new connection will improve the quality of life for River des Peres Greenway users and neighborhood residents alike.”

The River des Peres Greenway was first constructed in 2005, with additional phases being added in 2008 and 2013. The trail is currently 5.5 miles in length and extends from Lansdowne Avenue to Alabama Avenue. The greenway also links to a one-mile neighborhood connector, the Christy Greenway, which extends north from Germania to Holly Hills Blvd., where it meets up with the Bike St. Louis system.

Construction is slated to begin in early 2015 on another phase that will extend the River des Peres Greenway from Alabama Avenue to Lemay Park, and then further east to connect with the Mississippi River Greenway near River City Casino. Plans are also moving forward to connect the greenway to the popular Grant’s Trail on the Gravois Greenway.

Future plans will extend the River des Peres Greenway north at Lansdowne Avenue to Forest Park, creating 12 miles of continuous connectivity from the Mississippi River to Forest Park.

At the celebration June 7, representatives from Great Rivers Greenway, project partners and local dignitaries will officially open the new connector trail.

To learn more about the River des Peres Greenway or the June 7 event, visit

or call (314) 436-7009.