Prairie State Wire

The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced the commencement of construction for the Don Welge Memorial Bridge in Chester. This initiative is part of Governor JB Pritzker's Rebuild Illinois capital program, which aims to enhance infrastructure across the state.

Governor Pritzker emphasized his commitment to improving state infrastructure: "My administration is proud to be transforming our state's infrastructure, and I've made it my mission to improve bridges, railways, roads, bike paths, and more to better serve our communities," he said. He highlighted that investing in the bridge ensures "innovation, safety, and reliability for thousands of drivers every day."

The project involves a $307.1 million investment from both Illinois and Missouri. It will replace the existing Chester Bridge that connects Illinois 150 and Missouri 51 over the Mississippi River between Randolph County in Illinois and Perry County in Missouri. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is contributing approximately $143.2 million through Rebuild Illinois.

Scheduled for completion by December 2026, the project will use a design-build approach under the supervision of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). The new bridge will honor Don Welge, a former Chester resident and advocate for local infrastructure.

Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman expressed pride in collaborating with Missouri on this endeavor: "The new Chester bridge is another investment in safety, mobility and improved quality of life via Rebuild Illinois," he stated.

Constructed in 1942, the current bridge serves about 7,000 vehicles daily and facilitates significant regional agricultural traffic. The replacement structure will feature two wider lanes with shoulders to address previous drainage and flooding issues.

Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission Vice Chairman W. Dustin Boatwright stressed the importance of this project: "Replacing this 80-year-old Mississippi River crossing is vital investment to recapitalize our transportation network between southeast Missouri and southern Illinois."

For more details on this project, visit www.modot.org/chesterbridge.

Rebuild Illinois plans a total investment of $33.2 billion over six years into enhancing transportation infrastructure statewide. It represents a historic effort encompassing roads, bridges, transit systems, waterways, rail networks, aviation facilities, as well as bicycle and pedestrian pathways.

Since its inception four years ago, Rebuild Illinois has led to improvements across 5,339 miles of highway and on 533 bridges among other enhancements statewide. Additional information can be found at https://idot.click/Rebuild-Illinois.