Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge Opening Day

by Don Frazier, Fred Lynch, and Chris Smith

Saturday, December 13, 2003

Opening day for the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, Dec. 13, 2003 in Cape Girardeau. The day was bitter cold, but the snow stayed away, allowing thousands of area residents to congregate above the mighty Mississippi on the new bridge.

Crowds moved about the soon-to-be-opened Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge during grand opening ceremonies held Saturday, December 13, 2003, in Cape Girardeau.
A crowd of thousands attended Saturday's, December 13, 2003, opening day ceremonies of the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge.
U.S. Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond addressed those attending Saturday's, opening ceremonies of the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge.
U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson cut the ceremonial cable to officially open the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge Saturday in Cape Girardeau. Nearby were U.S. Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond, left, David Phelps with the Illinois Department of Transportation, and the Emerson family.

The Cape Central High School Band paraded across the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge during opening ceremonies held Saturday
Junior Miss Diamond Anna Wren, left, and Teen Miss Diamond Corrie Gerecke waived to spectators during Saturday's, parade as part of opening ceremonies of the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge.
U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson waived to spectators as she crossed the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge during opening ceremonies held Saturday.
Celebrating the opening the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, students from the University of Missouri at Rolla paraded their solar powered vehicle.
Vintage cars and trucks paraded across the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge from Illinois, during opening ceremonies held Saturday.

Maddie Baker looked up at the bridge as she and her brother, Brayden Baker, both of Cape Girardeau, were pulled across the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge Saturday.
And they were off as runners started the Southeast Missourian sponsored 5-K run as part of Saturday's, opening day ceremonies for the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge.
Escorted by the Illinois State Police traffic began to flow from Illinois to Missouri across the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, Saturday
Cape Girardeau Police Chief Steve Strong, Ted McClellan, and Stan Johnson were in the last vehicle to drive over the old Mississippi River Bridge prior to its official closing Saturday, December 13, 2003.
Cape Girardeau Police Chief Steve Strong, Ted McClellan, and Stan Johnson posed for a photo as the group celebrated the last vehicle to cross the old Mississippi River bridge as part of opening day ceremonies of the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, Saturday.