BERKELEY, Mo. – On a slow and rainy Wednesday, veterinarian Dr. Daniel Wentz is dealing with a tortoise with an abscess at Ferguson Animal Hospital.
This longtime Ferguson business owner is hopeful that drivers on the newly remade Airport Road will take a page from his patient and slow down.
“It’s been pretty rough and traffic flow is bad and fast and lots of accidents,” Wentz said. “I think this is good. It will slow down the traffic. We won’t have so many accidents. Slowing the traffic down is always good for businesses because they start seeing the businesses.”
The newly remade Airport Road features widened lanes, added bike lanes, improved pedestrian access, and upgraded traffic signals. All of this is to enhance the safety of everyone who uses the road.
“It’s improving the quality of life for our residents and businesses in the community,” St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said. “It’s about creating a safer environment for everybody that travels the road—pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists—and it’s about supporting economic growth and opportunity in north county.”
On Wednesday, public officials and city leaders gathered to showcase the improvements made to the 1.7-mile stretch of road in Berkeley, part of a $7.5 million project from Interstate 170 to North Florissant Road in Ferguson.
Boeing is in the midst of building a new facility adjacent to St. Louis Lambert International Airport, just up the road. Proximity is what works in Berkeley’s favor say city leaders.
Berkeley Mayor Babatunde Deinbo promising this is just the beginning of things to come.
“We’re a progressive city,” he said. “We’re moving forward, and we are buying properties and we’re going to develop this area. I want to see a city restaurant and grocery store and, also, we’re going to have an amphitheater.”
The East West Gateway Council of Governments contributed $2.1 million for the project, with St. Louis County paying the remainder.
“Berkeley has been doing really well with the new city hall and firehouse down there,” Wentz said. “So yeah, good, nice roads bring business.”
