Construction crews are moving into Wentzville this week to build a new 10-foot-wide multi-use path along West Meyer Road, kicking off the local portion of a sprawling St. Charles County project aimed at making walking and biking safer across the region. Eastbound lanes on West Meyer Road will see daily closures from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. as work gets underway, and drivers are being urged to slow down, watch for crews, and build in extra travel time.
The city of Wentzville says St. Charles County notified officials that a contractor would begin work on the city's portion of the BikeWalk Phase 1 project, according to City of Wentzville MO – Government. The contractor will tear out the existing sidewalk along the south side of West Meyer Road and replace it with the wider path, part of a broader effort the city describes as a St. Charles County initiative to expand and improve walking and biking connections throughout the area. Construction will also continue along Wentzville Parkway between West Meyer Road and Schroeder Creek Boulevard, and along Schroeder Creek Boulevard between Wentzville Parkway and Pearce Boulevard.
A Three-Corridor Regional Buildout
Wentzville's work is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Phase 1 of the county's BikeWalk network spans three separate corridors: the Wentzville stretch covering West Meyer Road, Wentzville Parkway, and Schroeder Creek Boulevard; a second corridor along Interstate Drive, Prospect Road, and Freymuth Road; and a third along Lake Saint Louis Boulevard and Paul Renaud Boulevard, according to St. Charles County Government. Beyond the new pathway, the project includes crosswalks, pedestrian signals, pavement markings, directional signage, and upgrades to existing facilities.
The plan traces back to the Gateway Bike Plan, which the St. Charles County Council formally adopted in August 2022 under Resolution 22-12 to guide long-term active transportation improvements across multiple municipalities, per county records. Construction didn't happen overnight — the county solicited formal bids for Phase 1 under procurement notice IFB 25-057 in November 2025, closed bidding in December, and released the bid tabulation in January, setting the stage for contractor mobilization this year.
Federal Dollars and Local Funding Behind the Project
Much of the price tag traces to federal money. St. Charles County was awarded $1.84 million in federal funding for BikeWalk Phase 1 through the Transportation Alternatives Program, administered by the East-West Gateway Council of Governments and approved back in March 2023, the county says. The West Meyer Road segment also builds on earlier local investment: it connects directly with the West Meyer Road Phase 3 project completed in 2023, which extended a 10-foot multi-use path to Lions Lane and Rotary Park using the county's half-cent transportation sales tax, according to St. Charles County Transportation Planning.
The new path is also designed with an eye toward future roadwork. It's meant to integrate with Phase 3 of the David Hoekel Parkway, a $25 million project slated for completion in 2027 that will include its own 10-foot multi-use path linking West Meyer Road north to US Highway 61, per county planning documents. County officials gathered public input on the broader Phase 1 plan at an open house held at Quail Ridge Lodge in Quail Ridge Park in January 2024, where residents weighed in on proposed crosswalks, mid-block crossings, and signal placement.
Growth Fuels the Push for Safer Paths
The investment comes as Wentzville's population keeps climbing. U.S. Census Bureau estimates released in 2025 put the city's population at 48,646 as of 2024, an 8.3% increase since 2020 that keeps Wentzville among Missouri's fastest-growing cities. That kind of growth has translated into heavier traffic and greater pedestrian exposure on roads that weren't originally built with today's volume in mind.
Statewide numbers underscore the stakes. The Missouri Department of Transportation reported 139 pedestrian fatalities on Missouri roadways in 2025, remaining near historic highs after a record 148 pedestrian deaths in 2024 — a trend Hoodline detailed in its coverage of a teen pedestrian death earlier this year. Just days ago, Hoodline reported on a pedestrian killed on I-70 in Wentzville, a stark reminder of the risks facing anyone on foot near the city's busiest corridors.
To help trail users navigate the growing network, the county is also rolling out QR-code signage along BikeWalk routes so pedestrians and cyclists can scan a sign to pull up live maps, report maintenance issues, or reach emergency services, according to reports presented to the East-West Gateway Council of Governments in February 2025. For now, though, the more immediate concern for Wentzville drivers is navigating the work zone itself. The city is directing residents to www.sccmo.org/230/bicycle-and-pedestrian-travel for project updates and a full location map as construction moves forward along West Meyer Road, Wentzville Parkway, and Schroeder Creek Boulevard.
