DeBaliviere Update

Historical September–October 2015 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.

I was fascinated to notice when walking past some of the work from the new Loop Trolley, that what appeared to be railroad ties were being dug up. At first there were just one or two, but on my latest pass by the area near Delmar station there is a large pile of these.

Now I am told that they are from the original Delmar Loop trolley, so I think it’s quite amusing that they are being disturbed by the installation of the new trolley!

During the last few months, those of us that use DeBaliviere have gotten used to driving on the west section of the road and watched with interest as they worked on the East of the road. First they removed the central medians, moving the removed earth to the area opposite the Crossroads Preparatory School.

Then they put in new curbstones down the middle of what would have been the old street, and completed the road by adding fresh asphalt.

We were just recently told that the driving lanes would be moved over to the East side, and sure enough, one evening I turned from Pershing to find that the road had moved!

Now they can start work on the trolley lines, and also on the extension of the greenway from its current stopping place at Delmar, right into Forest Park.

The other excitement has been the bridge over the MetroLink.

After the old bridge was removed, it allowed us an unusual view of the train tracks, but soon DeBaliviere was a parking lot of bridge pieces.

These were assembled over the course of a weekend, and the rebar work started. It’s interesting to see how one can trace what will be the trolley lines through the rebar! Check out my blog at https:// derekknight007.wordpress.com/.

Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, September–October 2015.

Read this article in the original newspaper issue.

Original source: SD_Times2015_09.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.