Gravois safety concerns prompt MoDOT meeting after 22 deaths in 5 years

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Charles Vanwinkle lives just half a block from Gravois and Grand. Wednesday night, he was one of dozens of residents sharing concerns about safety on the Route 30 corridor during a MoDOT open house.

“I’ve witnessed a lot of accidents, a lot of pedestrians being struck, and there’s got to be a better way for the street there,” Vanwinkle said.

Jen Wade, an area engineer for MoDOT, said the meeting is part of the early planning process for a major resurfacing project along the six-mile stretch of Gravois.

“We know there have been a lot of crashes on this corridor. MoDOT has invested some safety money to add to this paving work so that we can really make some changes here,” Wade said.

A MoDOT review of crash data over the last five years found 22 people were killed along Gravois, including eight pedestrians.

For those who live nearby, those numbers feel personal. Less than two weeks ago, 27-year-old Pierre Leech was killed while crossing Gravois near Potomac.

“The young man that got killed, that shook the neighborhood. Everybody talked about it,” Vanwinkle said.

Officials said the project could include new pedestrian crossings and more.

“How many lanes should be on Gravois? If we reduce lanes, what else do we put in those extra spaces? We’re also at this public meeting looking at how to simplify intersections,” Wade said.

One of the ideas Vanwinkle supports most is narrowing parts of the road to help slow traffic.

“I think one of the best things that I heard was to thin out Gravois. Tighten it up. That will slow people down, hopefully. But that’s the problem. Gravois raceway is the nickname,” Vanwinkle said.

But he and a couple others who attended are worried about how long it will take before they see the results.

“2029. What? That’s three years away. We don’t have three years. We’re going to lose more people,” Vanwinkle said.

MoDOT said the project is still in the planning stages. There will be additional public meetings before a final design is chosen. Right now, construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2029.