Two new pedestrian bridges over highways 364 and 94 in St. Charles County will officially open with a ribbon cutting and community celebration on Saturday, April 7, 2018, from 2 to 4 p.m. The bridges are part of the recent expansion of the Centennial Greenway, which provides a new connection to parks, schools, businesses and neighborhoods for thousands of residents on both sides of these busy highways.

Great Rivers Greenway, the City of St. Charles, St. Charles County and the Missouri Department of Transportation are inviting area residents to celebrate this new connection by joining a one-half mile walking and bicycling parade. The parade will begin on both ends of the Centennial Greenway and will meet in the middle at the scenic overlook, where the ribbon cutting and celebration will take place.

Residents can choose to join the parade from the St. Charles County Heritage Museum at Heritage Park (1630 Heritage Landing, St. Peters, MO 63303) or the MoDOT Commuter Lot (Old Highway 94 west of Muegge Road, St. Charles, MO 63303). Parade decorating will begin at 2 p.m. at both locations. The walking and wheeling parades will leave from their respective starting points at 2:15 p.m. and meet in the middle of the expanded greenway for remarks and a ribbon cutting at 2:30 p.m. People are then invited to enjoy a host of activities until 4 p.m., including music, food, free bike adjustments, a photo booth and the opportunity to explore the new greenway.

“People who live and work in St. Charles County have watched this greenway come to life over the past year and are eager to use it,” said St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann. “The highways are no longer a barrier for people who want to walk or ride bikes to get where they need to go. The new greenway also opens up a whole new world of recreational options for thousands of people by connecting them to the Katy Trail as well as other parks and greenways in St. Charles County.”

The project extends the existing 2.2-mile Centennial Greenway north, crossing both highways 364 and 94 via two pedestrian bridges where it connects to Old Highway 94 near Muegge Road. The new route enables on-street connections to nearby Laurel Park, Schaefer Park, Wapelhorst Park, the Laurel Park Trail, the McClay Branch of the St. Charles City-County Library, Francis Howell North High School and Henderson Elementary School — all of which are less than two miles from the bridges. In addition to the paved trail and bridges, the greenway also has a scenic overlook landscaped with native plants and seating for people to stop and rest.

“Building two bridges over two highways was a first for our team and would not have been possible without the outstanding partnership of the City of St. Charles, St. Charles County and the Missouri Department of Transportation,” said Susan Trautman, CEO of Great Rivers Greenway. “The people of the region asked us to bridge these highways with a new route for walking, riding bikes and enjoying fresh air. We are so happy to deliver the greenway they asked for.”