The Chester Bridge has two 11-foot lanes and carries 7,000 vehicles per day. It connects the cities of Chester, Illinois and Perryville, Missouri across the Mississippi River via Route 51. The current truss bridge was originally constructed in 1942 and was re-constructed in 1944 after a severe storm destroyed the main span. The bridge has allowed m...

MoDOT is sponsoring its 19th Annual Bridge Building Competition for high school juniors and seniors within the Southeast District’s 25-county region. This year, the competition will be held in-person on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Cape Girardeau. The deadline for registration is Friday, Sept. 9.

Southeast Missouri travelers can soon expect to see 17 bridge improvement projects coming to fruition through the Bootheel Bridge Bundle design-build project. Thirteen bridges in the Bootheel Bridge Bundle are included in Governor Mike Parson’s $351 million Focus on Bridges program, which will repair or replace 250 bridges across the state.

The proposed project includes upgrading Route 67 to interstate standards from the Route 160/158 interchange south of Poplar Bluff, Missouri to the Missouri/Arkansas state line. The entire project limits are broken down into five phases: Phases 1A and 1B, as well as Phases 2-4.

During its regular meeting each month, the Missouri Highways and Transportation reviews and awards projects across the state. Learn more about the Southeast District's upcoming projects!