The Don Welge Memorial Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge currently under construction across Mississippi River, which will connect Perryville, Missouri and Chester, Illinois using Missouri's Route 51 and Illinois's Route 150.[1] It is planned to be the successor to the current Chester Bridge, which was built in 1942 and reconstructed in 1946 after a severe thunderstorm destroyed the main span.
Don Welge Memorial Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Carries | 2 lanes of  Route 51/ IL 150 (planned) |
| Crosses | Mississippi River |
| Locale | Perryville, Missouri and Chester, Illinois |
| Official name | Don Welge Memorial Bridge |
| Other name(s) | New Chester Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
| History | |
| Construction start | 2023 |
| Construction end | 2026 (planned) |
| Construction cost | $284 million (2023 estimate) |
The bridge is named after Don Welge, a former Chester resident and longtime advocate for a new bridge for the last 15 years of his life until his death in 2020.[2][3] The first plans for a new bridge were developed in March 2018,[4] and construction began in September 2023.[5][6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Chester Bridge". Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ Ruch, Amber (October 27, 2020). "New Chester bridge named after former resident, longtime bridge advocate". KFVS-TV. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ "Bill Status of HJR0038". 103rd General Assembly-Illinois. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ Ruch, Amber (March 14, 2018). "Environmental study being conducted on the Chester, IL Bridge". KFVS-TV. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ "Construction on the Route 51 Mississippi River Bridge Begins in Perry County". Missouri Department of Transportation. September 5, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ Mohundro, Mike (September 5, 2023). "Crews start construction work on the new Chester Bridge this week". WSILTV. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
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