Mid-America Medical District Infrastructure Analysis

Summary

The Mid-America Medical District (MAMD) is located in the cities of East St. Louis, Belleville, and O’Fallon, Illinois.  The District was created by Illinois Public Act 094-1036 in January 2007 and amended in August 2011 by Illinois Public Act 097-0583. The redevelopment and revitalization of the East St. Louis segment of the District will require significant upgrades to the infrastructure supporting the area.  Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC (KEG) provided an Infrastructure Analysis Study to identify the existing infrastructure capacity, the needed capacity based on the future land use, and recommendations to support the future land use.  This study is intended to be used by developers to understand the infrastructure needs surrounding potential sites. A web-based mapping application of all infrastructure recommendations was also developed.

Project

The infrastructure analysis included the combined sanitary/storm sewers, the water supply, the roads, the telecommunications system, and the electric supply for the proposed 240-acre site in East St. Louis, Illinois. KEG utilized existing data, existing knowledge of the infrastructure, existing relationships with utilities, and the East St. Louis Comprehensive Master Plan, KEG also conducted field surveys to develop an understanding of the existing capacity and needed capacity of the infrastructure serving the District.  All information gathered for the study is stored in a Geographic Information System (GIS) format.

For the preliminary phase of the Infrastructure Analysis Study, KEG developed a comprehensive Traffic Impact Study in accordance with the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) guidelines. The Traffic Impact Study included special attention to public transportation services.  Bus and commuter light rail services are an integral part of the existing transportation network within East St. Louis and within the planned mixed-use development for the District. KEG obtained information about the existing bus routes, bus stops, and bus volumes and incorporated this information into the traffic models.  KEG prepared projected traffic volumes for the full development of the District and incorporated the effects of a strong public transportation system, which results in fewer trips by automobile and more trips by public transportation.

The complete Infrastructure Analysis Study included the results and recommendations from the Traffic Impact Study, as well as the evaluation of the sewers, water system, and telecommunications system.  The study also identified the needed capacity based on future land use, recommendations to support future land use, and the estimated cost of the recommendations.