NextSTL: 'Who is Being Served by the South County Connector?'

A proposed divided road, known as the South County Connector, is being proposed by the St. Louis County Department of Highways and Traffic. A draft environmental impact study of the project has been completed and is in a public comment phase.

The website, Next STL, has been following the progress of the South County Connector, and has a few opinions on the county’s arguments for the road.

• The road doesn’t take pedestrians or bikes into consideration.
• The study actually predicts that traffic will decrease in the coming years, and the road would increase congestion at Hanley Road and Interstate 64.
• St. Louis County Department of Highway and Traffic is accusing Maplewood of selfishly looking out for its own interests. (The city has said the road would kill the Deer Creek development.)

From the article in Next STL:

“But seriously, who is being served by the South County Connector? Why is the St. Louis Department of Highway and Traffic Propaganda so invested in seeing it built? What is this monster that demands we build ever more and wider roads? Who is Maplewood obligated to accommodate? There’s an amorphous, ethereal call that comes from highway engineers when someone doesn’t like a highway proposal. They shout, “It’s part of the regional highway network that must be served!” But who benefits?”