M3 Engineering Group was retained by The Great Rivers Greenway District to design two miles of greenway trail and three pedestrian bridges along Maline Creek. The project included design of a rain garden and stream biostabilization design at three separate locations to ensure that the new bridges would be supported by a competent streambank system. The streambank stabilization techniques included stacked stone toe protection, wrapped earth, willow staking, riffle pools and native plantings.
The project is in St. Louis County’s Bella Fontaine Park located in the communities of Moline Acres and Bellefontaine Neighbors within the Maline Greenway. The park includes asphalt trails that lead to the pedestrian bridges and other features in the park. The western part of the trail leads to Lewis and Clark Boulevard (Hwy 367) which must be crossed without pedestrian control, making crossing dangerous. An underpass was designed at this location to ensure safety and connectivity to the Maline Creek.