MASCOUTAH, ILL. — Construction has completed on the MetroLink extension to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, which is located in Mascoutah. The milestone marks the culmination of a transformative $192 million multimodal investment designed to strengthen regional connectivity, extend transportation options and support long-term economic growth throughout St. Clair County and the bi-state region. The three-part project includes a $154 million, 5.2-mile extension of MetroLink from the Shiloh-Scott Transit Center to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, $32 million in new roadway infrastructure and a $6 million, 4.5-mile extension of the MetroBikeLink Trail.
The MetroLink extension features a new station located directly across from the MidAmerica St. Louis Airport terminal and parking lot and represents the first full MetroLink expansion in roughly 20 years. Upon opening for revenue service in the coming months, the extension will serve as MetroLink’s 39th station. It will position the St. Louis region among the few transit systems in the nation offering a direct rail connection between two airports via MetroLink’s 43-mile light rail system linking MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
The project was funded through a partnership between the State of Illinois and the St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD), including $127 million from the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program and $65 million from SCCTD.
In addition to SCCTD, key project partners included the Illinois Department of Transportation, Bi-State Development/Metro Transit, St. Clair County, MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, Gonzalez Cos. and the Southwestern Illinois Building Trades Council.