A rendering shows what the new bicycle underpass at the University of Missouri–St. Louis will look like. (Illustration by Jacobs Engineering)

The University of Missouri–St. Louis will become more bike friendly this summer with the addition of another bike trail through campus as well as a bicycle underpass.

Starting April 30, an orange safety fence will encircle the Millennium Plaza on the west side of the Millennium Student Center. The new bike trail will be built in the plaza area connecting the existing St. Vincent Greenway trail with the Ted Jones Trail.

The project will create an underpass running east from Parking Lot D under Arnold B. Grobman Drive and continue east behind the north and south Millennium Student Center parking garages. It will connect with the Ted Jones Trail where it meets Grobman near Florissant Road.

Construction of the underpass is set to begin June 4 and run through July 6. During that time, the portion of Grobman Drive directly east of Parking Lot D will be closed. The MSC parking garages and Parking Lot E will be open to vehicle traffic.

Through traffic along Grobman Drive between Florissant Road and Natural Bridge Road will not be possible. Through traffic from Florissant Road will be detoured on to campus at University Place Drive south to Mark Twain Drive, then to West Drive and exit at Natural Bridge Road.

There will be signage throughout campus directing traffic.

The project is expected to be completed by mid-August.

The project is being funded by Great Rivers Greenway. It’s expected to cost about $1.3 million. UMSL will operate and maintain the improvements after construction is complete.