HR Green has been selected by the City of Saint Charles to provide planned improvements along First Capitol Drive, a major corridor through the heart of the city. The project includes roundabouts at First Capitol Drive and Kingshighway, and at First Capitol Drive and Tompkins Street, as well as the First Capitol Drive Shared Use Path Bridge. Together, these elements are designed to improve traffic flow, enhance pedestrian access, and better connect the corridor to surrounding neighborhoods, Lindenwood University, and existing trail systems.

First Capitol Drive serves as a highly visible and heavily traveled route through Saint Charles. The corridor also carries significant pedestrian activity, particularly near Lindenwood University, which sits directly along the roadway. As the university has continued to grow, safe and efficient pedestrian movement has become an increasingly important part of the corridor’s long-term vision. Most of the anticipated property impacts are located on university-owned land, making coordination with Lindenwood an important part of the planning and design process.

“My previous work on First Capitol Drive over 20 years ago gives us a strong understanding of the corridor, including the property impacts and constraints that shaped the original realignment,” said Dan Shane, PE, PTOE, HR Green Senior Project Manager. “That background helps us bring practical insight to the next phase of improvements as the City looks at safer pedestrian access and better traffic operations.”

Several project elements will require close coordination and thoughtful design. Initial considerations include construction staging for a multi-lane roundabout at two existing signalized intersections, coordination with Lindenwood University and other stakeholders, integration of federal participating and local funding sources, pedestrian bridge within a tight area, and provisions for a shared use path through the project limits, ultimately providing a trail connection to Historic Downtown Saint Charles.

Once complete, the First Capitol Drive improvements are expected to provide better traffic flow, safer pedestrian crossings, stronger trail connectivity, and a more connected experience for the Saint Charles community.