Expanding a National Shrine, Section by Section
Phase 5C continued the Phase 5A & 5B expansion at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, developing approximately 8.5 acres to add long-term burial capacity while preserving the cemetery's established layout and standards. The work delivered four new pre-placed crypt burial sections holding 8,535 double-depth crypts, plus one new in-ground cremains section providing 765 burial sites.
Supporting site development included construction and repair of internal roadways, a new irrigation system, and full landscaping — turf establishment, trees, and shrubs — to integrate the new sections seamlessly with the surrounding grounds. A new retaining wall was built as part of site grading, finished with architectural cast-in-place concrete caps and limestone veneer to match the cemetery's existing walls and ensure visual continuity.
The project was completed ahead of schedule while resolving several field challenges — unsuitable soils beneath crypt fields and roadways, an unmarked gas main, and owner-requested upgrades such as a new irrigation connection and a change from seeding to sod. Added scope was partially offset by more than $250,000 in mutually agreed deductions between RKE and the government, and none of the changes impacted the schedule.
What RKE Self-Performed & Managed
Collaboration Kept It On Schedule
Poor soils under portions of the crypt fields and roadways were remediated without delaying placement.
A previously unmarked gas utility was discovered and resolved collaboratively with the project team.
A new irrigation connection and a seeding-to-sod upgrade were incorporated with zero schedule impact.