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 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.
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] The first plans for a new bridge were developed in March 2018, [3] and construction began in September 2023. [4] [5]