MACON – Tomorrow, Aug. 3, marks history in Pike County Missouri and Illinois. There will be a new Champ Clark Bridge for motorists to cross the Mississippi River on U.S. Route 54. A dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony is being held on the new bridge beginning at 6:30 p.m. The new bridge is expected to open to traffic soon after the ceremony concludes.
“When we received the TIGER Grant in 2015, it seemed we had a large task ahead of us to get the bridge completed by November 1, 2019,” said Champ Clark Bridge Project Director Keith Killen. “Massman Construction Co. has done a wonderful job getting this project completed ahead of schedule,” he added. The original completion date was Fall of 2019.
After the new bridge is opened, the old bridge will close to through traffic, but will still be accessible from the Missouri side to those who need to access the marina on the Illinois side. Once Massman Construction Co. completes the work in front of the marina to connect it to the new section of highway, the old bridge will be permanently closed. The old bridge will be demolished in the next few months.
For more information on the ceremony and opening, you can visit the Champ Clark Bridge website at http://www.champclarkbridge.com/.