Ribbon cutting for Don Welge Memorial Bridge set for July 11
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
SIKESTON, Mo. (KBSI) — The Missouri and Illinois departments of transportation will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday, July 11, to celebrate the opening of the Don Welge Memorial Bridge.
The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. on the new bridge, which spans the Mississippi River and connects Perryville, Missouri, and Chester, Illinois, via Missouri Route 51 and Illinois Route 150.
The project was awarded in March 2023 to the Ames Team, a partnership between Ames Construction Inc. and Parsons Transportation Group.
The new three-tower cable-stayed bridge represents a joint investment of approximately $307.1 million by the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Public access to the bridge will begin at 9 a.m. on the day of the event.
Public parking will be available at the Perryville Regional Airport, 1856 Highway H, Perryville, Missouri and at Cohen Complex, 3402 Bodes Lane, Chester, Illinois. Shuttle buses will transport visitors to and from the event site beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing through the conclusion of the events.
Attendees are encouraged to wear appropriate footwear, as access to the ceremony site requires walking across a gravel lot and up an incline. Drones will not be permitted during the event.
