Bridges Continue to be Focus in Fenton

London has nothing on Fenton, as the southwest St. Louis County city had one of its own bridges fall down and another headed toward completion.

The South Old Highway 141 bridge over Fenton Creek was torn down April 20 and the road will be closed to through traffic for the next three months for bridge and roadway replacement.

Located at the entrance to banquet center, the bridge will be completely replaced. However, Gravois Road and Gravois Bluffs Boulevard are still open to traffic and all businesses in the area remain open, Mayor Dennis J. Hancock said.

Greg Bresler, general manager of Andre's West, is making the best of the detours his customers and guests will have to take to get to the banquet center.

"Fortunately it's not going to affect us too much because we're a destination spot," he said.

Bresler said he will have an employee stationed across Fenton Creek from the banquet center for guests who are unaware of the bridge closing to make sure they get to the wedding rceptions on time.

As for the closure of the Old Gravois Road bridge, Bresler said he'll be happy when it's all finished. The project has been beset by delays and now is expected to open sometime this fall.

"What a nightmare that one has been, but it'll be good when it's finished," he said.

Part of the problem, Bresler said, has been Google Maps and Mapquest, two online map services that direct guests to Andre's West via the Old Gravois Bridge that was closed for two years before being demolished and is now in the process of being rebuilt. "So, that's been aggravating," he said.

Alternate routes for motorists who normally use South Old Highway 141 are Gravois Bluffs Boulevard and Springdale Lane, located next to the signal light after Gravois Bluffs on Highway 141.

Meanwhile, high Meramec River levels have temporarily halted construction on the new Gravois Road Bridge. Once the river recedes, one last pier on the Fenton side remains to be poured before the bridge deck can be installed, Hancock said.

Other aspects of the bridge work will continue. The city anticipates the bridge will be competed in six to eight months, Hancock said.

The city voted unanimously Nov. 23 to enter into a nearly $1.3 million contract with L.F. Krupp Construction to remove the South Old Highway 141 bridge and build one that will feature a 36-foot wide paved roadway, curbs and a gutter. The work is funded by a $960,933.65 federal grant and $301,522.35 from the city.

The Meramec River bridge, which spans the river between Fenton's Olde Towne and Sunset Hills' Mini Ha Ha Park, is a $4.5 million project being carried out by Pace Construction of St. Louis. The new steel girder bridge will feature two concrete driving lanes, a sidewalk and a new approach road from the Sunset Hills side.

The old bridge, built in 1925, was closed in August 2007 after a St. Louis County inspection found extensive deterioration to the bridge deck and support system. The new bridge is jointly financed through a federal grant and contributions from Fenton and St. Louis County. The construction is being overseen by the St. Louis County Department of Highways and Traffic.

Some information in this story was provided by Dan Barger.