St. Louis County outlines $6.1 million Baptist Church Road resurfacing and safety upgrade project

St. Louis County staff presented plans to repair and resurface Baptist Church Road between State Road 21 and Coral Ridge Drive, describing a package of safety and pedestrian upgrades estimated at about $6.1 million. The project team said design work will continue through 2026, property rights will be acquired afterward, the county expects to put the work out to bid in 2028 and plans construction in 2029.

The presentation summarized the scope: pavement repair and resurfacing, installation of ADA-compliant curb ramps at side streets, new pedestrian crossings and some sidewalk replacements, concrete median islands with pedestrian cut-throughs where feasible, and traffic-signal upgrades. The team said flashing yellow arrow indications and roadside units (RSUs) that can support emergency vehicle preemption and traffic-data collection will be added at several signalized intersections, including high-crash locations near Ronnie’s Plaza and Southfield Center.

Pam Tibbo, assistant division manager on the project development team at St. Louis County, opened the meeting and introduced the project staff. The presentation noted that temporary (TSCL) and permanent (PSE) property rights will be requested in places where construction or future sidewalk maintenance requires them; property owners would retain ownership of affected parcels.

Why it matters: the county said the existing roadway has sections of poor pavement and signal equipment that need upgrading, and county staff framed the work as intended to improve safety and pedestrian access along the corridor. The county also reported this project received federal reimbursement support; presenters said that reimbursement will lower the county’s net share by roughly $1.7 million.

Key details and limits - Project limits: from State Road 21 to Coral Ridge Drive; the county said the work ties into a previously completed pedestrian project at Lindberg. The presentation repeatedly clarified that the current contract ends at Coral Ridge and does not extend north to Gravoy/Gravoy Road. - Funding and timeline: conceptual design is complete; design continues through 2026; property acquisition will follow; bidding is expected in 2028 and construction in 2029. The estimated total cost is about $6.1 million with federal reimbursement expected to reduce the county’s share by about $1.7 million. - What is included: pavement resurfacing and repair, partial sidewalk replacements and driveway approach work, ADA curb-ramp upgrades, signal upgrades (flashing yellow arrows and detector loops), RSUs for emergency-vehicle communication, and preserving or installing concrete median islands with pedestrian cut-throughs where feasible.

Answers to resident questions - Sidewalks: staff said the project will include sidewalk repairs within the contract limits but will not create a continuous sidewalk north to Gravoy as part of this effort. County staff explained that eligibility for federal funding depends on pavement condition ratings; the segment north of Coral Ridge currently rates in good condition and therefore is not eligible for federal resurfacing funds now. The presentation noted that sidewalks are costly and often require additional right-of-way, with a rough staff estimate given during the meeting that sidewalks can cost on the order of millions per mile depending on terrain and property impacts. - Traffic during construction: presenters said most lanes will be maintained and crews will typically work on one side at a time; paving operations may require intensified lane restrictions for short periods (staff estimated paving operations might require about a week of lane impacts), and overall on-site work could fit within a single construction season depending on start timing. - Intersection geometry and MoDOT jurisdiction: staff reiterated that the county’s jurisdiction begins north of Route 21 and that the sharp geometry where Baptist Church Road meets Route 21 was part of a Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) project; redesigning that intersection would likely require property acquisitions and is beyond the scope of this resurfacing project. - Signage and enforcement at Ronnie’s Plaza/Southfield Center: residents raised recurring unsafe left turns into Ronnie’s Plaza. County staff said the 'no left turn' restriction at that location has historical precedent and that operations staff will review signage and enforcement options; the county will add left-turn arrows at nearby intersections as part of signal upgrades where the design calls for them.

Next steps and contacts County staff said they will continue design through 2026, begin property acquisition thereafter, post meeting materials and the recorded presentation on the project website, and publish bid documents in 2028. The presentation named Ray Gallick as the county area engineer for follow-up questions and directed interested residents to the project website for updates and contact information.

The county did not name a construction contractor; staff said the project will be bid in 2028 and the low bidder will be selected at that time. If costs exceed the budget, staff said the county would cover unanticipated overruns, though they expressed cautious optimism based on recent bid trends that estimates are often conservative.

The meeting closed after a final opportunity for chat questions; staff reiterated that the recording and plan sheets will be posted on the project web page for later review.