Dozens of south city residents packed a Missouri Department of Transportation open house on Wednesday, pressing officials to speed up long-promised safety fixes on Gravois Avenue after a run of deadly crashes along the six-mile Route 30 stretch. Neighbors say they are worn out from seeing people hit while crossing the busy road and want changes far sooner than the current rebuild schedule.
MoDOT crash review lays out the toll
A review of crash data from the past five years found that 22 people have been killed along Gravois, including eight pedestrians, and recorded 2,857 total crashes from 2020 through 2025, according to MoDOT. The agency says those numbers are shaping an in-depth planning study of the 5.7-mile corridor through the city.
Plans, timeline and potential quick builds
MoDOT says its planning study will run through late 2027, with the full resurfacing and safety project scheduled to start construction in fall 2029, while officials weigh short-term countermeasures to cut crash risk, as outlined in a MoDOT news release. "We know there have been a lot of crashes on this corridor. MoDOT has invested some safety money to add to this paving work so that we can really make some changes here," Jen Wade, a MoDOT area engineer, told the crowd at the public meeting. The second meeting in the series took place June 10 at Das Bevo, where staff presented ideas such as lane reductions, simpler intersections and new pedestrian crossings.
Neighbors say 2029 is far too late
Residents at the meeting pushed hard for faster action. Attendee Charles VanWinkle said he has "witnessed a lot of accidents" on Gravois and supports narrowing parts of the road to slow drivers down. The stakes feel especially high after the recent death of 27-year-old Pierre Leech, who was killed less than two weeks earlier while crossing Gravois near Potomac, as reported by First Alert 4.
Recent crashes keep the pressure on
The danger is not confined to one intersection. St. Louis County Police investigated a fatal pedestrian strike near Gravois Road and Cinnabar Drive in April, according to a county press release. Local coverage has repeatedly highlighted deadly wrecks on Gravois, including a May collision at Gravois and Allen, a deadly Soulard crash at Gravois and Allen that drew fresh calls for safety changes.
What comes next
MoDOT officials say they will continue gathering community feedback as they narrow down design options and consider short-term "quick-build" safety projects that could be installed while the larger design work continues. Residents at the meeting said they want pilot projects on the ground, along with stepped-up enforcement, long before a 2029 construction start. The department plans additional public meetings and will post materials online as the study moves forward so residents can track proposals and weigh in on potential designs.
