Last week MoDOT opened the new bicycle/pedestrian path on the I-64/US-40 Daniel Boone Bridge over the Missouri River at Chesterfield. Construction crews working on the last details of the path were kind enough to allow MoBikeFed Executive Director Brent Hugh access to the new path one day before it officially opened. Daniel Boone Bridge Bike/Ped Path connecting Chesterfield to the Katy Trail is now openThe views of the river are stunning and the connection the path makes--between the Katy Trail and the Monarch Chesterfield Levee Trail--is vital. The Monarch Chesterfield Levee Trail in St. Louis County is 10.5 miles long and will eventually be 17 miles long. On the north side of the river, the Katy Trail is 240 miles long and will soon join with sections of the Rock Island Trail to reach all the way across the state.The new path creates, for the first time ever, easy, safe bicycle and pedestrian access to the Katy Trail for residents of the Chesterfield area in St. Louis County.In 2003, we had just one Missouri River bridge with a dedicated bike/ped path. With the Daniel Boone Bridge we now have seven bridges with dedicated bike/ped crossings and no fewer than five more are in progress.MoDOT press release for the opening of the bike/ped path says:The Missouri Department of Transportation will open the new bicycle/pedestrian trail on the eastbound I-64 Daniel Boone Missouri River Bridge tomorrow [June 9th, 2016].The path connects the Monarch Levee Trail in St. Louis County to the KATY Trail in St. Charles County.  The Boone Bridge is the seventh Missouri River crossing in the state to have a dedicated bike/ped crossing.“These Missouri River crossings are important because they create the connections that allow people to walk and bicycle in Missouri and because they give people an opportunity to make a personal connection with the beauty of the Missouri River and the engineering marvel of the bridges,” said Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation Director Brent Hugh.When the new path opens, the Monarch Levee Trail on either side of the Boone Bridge will also reopen.  The trail closed in 2013 to allow for construction of the new eastbound bridge as well as the rehabilitation of the 1980s bridge to carry westbound traffic. Boone Bridge Bike/Ped Path Ribbon Cutting Ceremony June 18th, 2016, 9am“Great Rivers Greenway is thrilled that the new Boone Bridge bike-pedestrian facility is open.  This connection, from the Missouri Greenway to Busch Greenway, will connect communities in western St. Louis County with St. Charles County providing a great experience for people to enjoy walking and riding along the Missouri River,” said Great Rivers Greenway Executive Director Susan Trautman."When we opened our store in Chesterfield Valley we were not expecting to be a trailhead for the KATY Trail.  We think that the new Boone Bridge bicycle path is going to transform bicycle access to the east side of the KATY Trail.  We predict this will encourage cyclists to visit the small towns and wineries along the KATY Trail as well as the businesses along the St. Charles Riverfront," said Big Shark Bike Company owner Mike Weiss.For more details on I-64 Daniel Boone Missouri River Bridge project, go to http://www.modot.org/stlouis/major_projects/newdanielboonebridge.htm.MoDOT, the City of Chesterfield, and the City of Weldon Spring are planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the bike/ped path on Saturday, June 18th, 2016 at 9AM. The public is invited to the ceremony and to run, bike, or walk the new bridge afterwards.    View/download the full album of photos of the Daniel Boone Bike/Ped Path Creating a world-class bicycle and pedestrian system in Missouri is one of the four primary goals of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri. Creating bicycle and pedestrian access across Missouri's major rivers is one of the most important ways we achieve this goal.When MoBikeFed began advocating for bike/ped access across major rivers in 1994, we had only one Missouri River crossing, at Boonville where the Katy Trail crosses the river. Today we have seven, with no fewer than FIVE more in progress.Your ongoing membership and generous financial support make progress like this possible.  Thank you!