Tower Grove Connector

The Tower Grove Connector is a 1.8-mile protected cycle track connecting Tower Grove Park and Cortex Innovation Community, improving safety, access, and mobility for people walking, biking, and traveling through the corridor.

The Project

The Tower Grove Connector creates a safer, more connected route between neighborhoods, cultural destinations, transit, and job centers. The project serves as a southern link to Great River Greenway’s Brickline Greenway.

The project includes:

• Two-way cycle track
• Intersection and traffic signal improvements
• Traffic management upgrades
• Repaving of Tower Grove Avenue, Vandeventer Avenue, and Sarah Street
• Sidewalk and crosswalk safety improvements.

Phase 1
Tower Grove Avenue + Vandeventer Avenue

Phase 1 construction started in Summer 2025 and is expected to be complete in Summer 2026.

Phase 2
Sarah Street + Vanderventer Avenue to the Brickline Greenway

Phase 2 construction is expected to start in Summer 2026 and be complete in 2027.

Design Highlights

Protected Cycle Track

• Two-way, sidewalk-level cycle track
• Physically separated from traffic by curb and buffer
• Dedicated bike signals
• Runs along Tower Grove Avenue, Vandeventer Avenue, and Sarah Street

Walking & Safety Improvements

• ADA-compliant crosswalk upgrades
• Pedestrian signals with countdown timers
• Raised mid-block crosswalks on Tower Grove Avenue
• Safer driveway crossings along Vandeventer Avenue

Intersection & Traffic Upgrades

• Simplified five-way intersection at Tower Grove, Vandeventer, and Central Industrial Drive
• New traffic signals connected to the City’s Traffic Management Center
• Improved traffic flow and reduced congestion

Community Involvement

Community input has shaped the Tower Grove Connector from the beginning and continues to guide design decisions.

Public engagement has resulted in:

• Maintained parking on Vandeventer Avenue
• Added trees and landscaping
• Larger buffers between cars, cyclists, and pedestrians
• A new center turn lane to improve safety and reduce congestion
• Three new raised mid-block crosswalks on Tower Grove Avenue

Public Art: I-44 Overpass

A site-specific public artwork is planned beneath the I-44 overpass at Tower Grove Avenue as part of the project.

The artwork will:

• Create a welcoming gateway
• Reflect surrounding neighborhoods and institutions
• Reinforce the Connector as safe, well-lit, and cared for

After a national call for artists and community input on the finalists’ proposals, A.J. Davis and Jeremy Frieboth were selected to advance their concept. Design refinement is underway with installation anticipated for later 2026.