Southern Illinois travelers who use MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and the MetroLink system will soon have a new public transit connection directly to the airport.
Local and state officials are celebrating completion of a $192 million, three-part transportation project, highlighted by a 5.2-mile MetroLink extension from the Shiloh-Scott Transit Center to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport at Mascoutah.
Construction is complete and testing is underway, with passenger service expected to begin in the coming months.
The $154 million MetroLink expansion includes a new station directly across from the MidAmerica terminal and parking lot. It will become MetroLink’s 39th station and represents the system’s first full extension in two decades.
Once service begins, passengers will be able to use MetroLink to travel between MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and St. Louis Lambert International Airport, providing a rail connection between the region’s two airports.
The overall project also includes $32 million in roadway improvements, including a new 2.4-mile airport access road connecting Rieder Road with Airport Boulevard and Interstate 64. Rieder Road was also extended about one-third of a mile to provide more direct access to Scott Air Force Base.
A third component, the $6 million, 4.5-mile MetroBikeLink Trail extension, opened in June and stretches from the Shiloh-Scott Transit Center toward MidAmerica Airport.
Officials say the improvements are intended to provide better access to jobs, air travel and economic development throughout the Metro East. The transportation expansion was also part of efforts to attract additional Boeing production to the region.
MetroLink recorded more than 6.8 million boardings in 2025, with officials saying more than 80% of riders use the system to travel to work.
Separately, Metro Transit began testing single-car MetroLink trains in selected situations October 3. That pilot program will continue through spring 2027 as the agency studies operating efficiency and potential maintenance savings while maintaining existing schedules and service frequency.