The first new St. Louis MetroLink station to be built in more than a decade, and the first to be constructed by Metro Transit through a public-private funding partnership, officially opened late last month. The grand opening took place 25 years ago to the day when Metro Transit opened the region’s light rail system. 

The new Cortex MetroLink Station offers another transportation option for current and future workers in the Cortex Innovation Community and throughout the St. Louis central corridor. The event also marked the completion of the first section of the Chouteau Greenway, a quarter-mile paved path linking Boyle and Sarah Avenues along which people can walk, run, or bicycle. Construction on the third phase of the project, the extension of the MetroLink platform at the Central West End Station, will get underway soon.

The Cortex MetroLink Station and Chouteau Greenway project was funded through a partnership between the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Cortex, Washington University, BJC HealthCare, Great Rivers Greenway, the City of St. Louis, Citizens for Modern Transit, Metro Transit, and Bi-State Development.

Project partners committed more than $5 million dollars to put with a $10.3 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the FTA. The $15.5 million project has three components, with the new Cortex Station and the Chouteau Greenway being the first two phases.

HNTB Corp. led the project design team and the project contractors included L. Keeley Construction, Wissehr Electrical Contractors, Sachs Electric and RailWorks Track Services Inc. The third phase of the project, the extension of the platform at the Central West End MetroLink Station, is expected to be completed in about six months.