42/365: Treatment For Depression

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We call this the depressed lanes, where Interstate 70 runs below street level downtown. The trench separates the city center on the left and the Arch grounds on the right, creating an awful barrier. Discussions of what to do about it have bubbled around for decades. It has often been suggested that we put a lid over it. It looks like changes are about to happen, some of which are wonderful and some of which are insanely awful. A public-private partnership held a design competition to renovate the whole area and a winner has been chosen. You can find out all about it on the City-Arch-River Competition web site.

Many new facilities would be added, the Arch park would be extended westward over a covered I 70 to the Old Court House and beyond and, perhaps, a gondola would be constructed from the south end of the park across the Mississippi to the viewing area in East St. Louis. On the other hand, the plan calls for removing the park's garage and not replacing it, making people use existing garages in the city center. Terrible idea. They are almost all a longer walk, bad for handicapped and elderly people. They are almost all more expensive, in some cases a lot more expensive, and many charge rip-off rates during baseball games. Finding a convenient spot when the Cardinals are playing a day game is nearly impossible. The designers also propose to cut the width of Market and Chestnut Streets in half. That will look nice since they are the main east-west streets leading up to the Arch, but it seems guaranteed to create traffic chaos during rush hour and after sporting events. Part of the proposal calls for removal of the popular and eye-catching waterfall and amphitheater in Kiener Plaza.

Not that I have any input. We will see what happens.

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