Redesign of Central West End St. Louis MetroLink station set to begin

St. Louis Metro has announced a new project is scheduled to begin that will bring major improvements to the busiest station on the MetroLink light-rail system, the Central West End MetroLink Station.

The $7.5 million enhancements are being funded by Washington University School of Medicine and BJC HealthCare, in partnership with St. Louis Metro Transit. The goal is to relieve congestion at the station, as well as to improve safety and visibility. The project is expected to take about a year to complete.

The MetroLink platform will remain open during construction, but the elevator at the west end of the station will be closed for demolition and reconstruction beginning Dec. 26. Throughout the project, temporary modifications and closures will be made to the station entrances/exits to enable riders to safely access the MetroLink platform.

Station redesign details include:

• New, monitored entrance/exit at the street level from Euclid Avenue on the west end of the station featuring a welcome center at the top of the stairs that lead down to the MetroLink platform.
• A new, wider staircase with a center handrail connecting the new Euclid Avenue entrance/exit to the platform to better accommodate passengers.
• Relocating the elevator on the station platform to relieve congestion.
• New, upgraded platform lighting.
• An expanded canopy to cover 70 percent of the MetroLink platform. The current canopy covers 30 percent of the MetroLink platform.
• Safety improvements including a speed bump, stop sign and new lighting at the entry to the MetroBus area of the garage, which connects to the east entrance/exit of the platform.

“The Central West End Station is our busiest station with more than 4,300 riders boarding trains there every weekday. Those passengers and future riders will benefit from the improvements, which include new access control that will create a safer and more convenient transit experience through secure, monitored entry and exit points,” said Taulby Roach, Bi-State Development president and CEO. “The station improvements and amenities would not be possible without the funding and partnership of BJC HealthCare and Washington University School of Medicine.”