Express Lane - MoDOT and IDOT celebrate joint ribbon-cutting

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View the Express Lane video for the July 23 edition.

Don Welge Memorial Bridge event connects communities

Missouri and Illinois citizens join for ribbon-cutting ceremony

On Saturday, July 11, the Missouri and Illinois Departments of Transportation were joined by local officials and dignitaries, representatives from the Design-Build contractor team, and hundreds of excited community members to celebrate completion of the Don Welge Memorial Bridge.

The new bridge replaces the Chester Bridge, which was built in 1942 and had reached the end of its life. This bridge provides a vital connection from Perryville, MO to Chester, IL via MO 51/IL 150 across the Mississippi River.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony represents the culmination of years of collaboration, planning, design and construction. Speakers from the Missouri and Illinois sides of the project, as well as Welge's family, spoke about the importance of this bistate partnership and honored the new bridge's namesake, who would have turned 91 years old on the day of the event.

The bridge was named after Don Welge, a Chester native who became one of southern Illinois’s most influential businessmen. As the president and CEO of the Gilster Mary-Lee Corporation and a driving force behind economic development, Welge realized the impact this major river bridge has on interstate commerce. The bridge carries 7,000 vehicles daily, with approximately 25% being commercial motor vehicle traffic.

The project features a three-tower, cable-stayed bridge and represents a combined investment of approximately $307.1 million by MoDOT and IDOT. A pair of behind-the-scenes videos have been released on MoDOT's YouTube channel. The first video looks at the history of the Chester Bridge and early construction process on the new bridge. The second video focuses on the end of the project and the ribbon-cutting event.

The livestream of the event has over 35,000 views and counting. Watch the ceremony on MoDOT Southeast's Facebook page and view photos from the event on Flickr.

The nearly completed Don Welge Memorial Bridge opened to one lane of traffic on July 13. A full bridge opening is anticipated by the end of July. Visit modot.org/DonWelge for more information.

Running late? Slow down, speeding tickets cause more delays

Drivers have many excuses for speeding, such as lateness, traffic and peer pressure. This risky and aggressive driving behavior endangers you, your loved ones and other road users. Speeding affects the ability to timely react to hazards, steer around curves or stop in time for passing pedestrians and road crews. Law enforcement is raising awareness that Speeding Slows You Down by issuing tickets to speeding drivers. Learn more.

Improve I-70 video highlights value of interagency collaboration

MoDOT's Improve I-70 Program consists of eight projects across the nearly 200 miles of I-70, as well as a project to improve truck parking availability along the corridor. This interstate expansion requires thousands of people coordinating between multiple agencies. In a new Beyond the Barrels video, Missouri Department of Economic Development Director Michelle Hataway discusses the positive business impacts of improving I-70.

Learn how J-turns reduce crashes and improve roadway safety

MoDOT is hosting a public meeting on July 28 in Farmington to discuss constructing a J-turn on U.S. Route 67. What are the safety benefits of a J-turn? This design reduces deadly right-angle crashes on four-lane highways by providing an extended deceleration lane at the intersection, eliminating the need for motorists to cross high-speed lanes of traffic. MoDOT released a new J-turn video instructing drivers on proper use. Learn more.

Provide feedback on high-priority unfunded needs in your area

Each year, MoDOT staff work with local planning partners across the state to update a list of high-priority unfunded transportation needs, with this year's list identifying $4.7 billion in road and bridge needs. Public meetings are scheduled in each region of the state starting Aug. 11 where community members can review the list and provide feedback on the order of priorities and additional needs that could be funded in the future. Find a meeting near you.