BRIDGING THE MISSISSIPPI: FOUR YEARS IN THE MAKING, FOUR MORE YEARS TO COMPLETION

Construction is well under way on a coffer dam for Pier 3 of the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, which will cross the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau.

The final major concrete pour for Pier 2 will be completed this month.

The overpass bridge at Interstate 55/Highway 74 that will provide direct route from the interstate to the bridge, has been completed, and grading and paving from I-55 to Sprigg is all but complete.

It's been more than four years in the making and there's another four years to go. But things are beginning to come together on construction of the $133.5 million, four-mile-plus, four-lane, project that will extend from Interstate 55 in Missouri to Route 1246 just west of East Cape Girardeau, Ill.

The project includes construction of three miles of approach roadway, a 3,900-foot long Mississippi River bridge and nearly one mile of approach roadway in Illinois.

Construction of the cable-stayed bridge itself is being conducted in stages, along with other separate approach projects. All will be coordinated to complete the entire structure at one time, hopefully by early 2001.

The bridge was named in honor of the late Bill Emerson, a long-time U.S. representative who was a major member of a group including government and private officials and citizens working to make the bridge dream come true.

Right on target

"Everything is going well," said Randy Hitt, area engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). "Work on Stage I of the bridge is being conducted now, and we're looking forward to letting the bid for Stage II in January 1998."

Piers 2 and 3 are the big items in Stage I construction.

Pier 2, located on the river's edge near Aquamsi St. in Cape Girardeau, is very visible to motorists. It towers high above ground level and near the level needed for the concrete decking of the bridge.

"We'll make the final major concrete pour on the pier next week, possibly Sept. 22," said Matt Girard, project manager for Flatiron Structures Inc., the bridge's contractor.

"This pour -- about 11,000 cubic yards -- will bring the pier up to the level of the bridge deck at that point," added Hitt. "The remaining pours on the pier will be for the "H" posts on either side of the pier."

Working in the river

Pier 3 is located near the middle of the river, and Flatiron Structures workers are building the coffer dam in preparations for construction of the pier.

Some workers are currently working a 3 to 11 p.m. shift on the coffer dam.

"Pier 3 will require a number of major concrete pours," said Hitt. The pours in the middle of the river can be completed a variety of ways.

The most common is to establish a concrete pumping station near the river's edge, run pipes across pontoon boats and into the pier site, said Hitt.

Or, a batch operation could be set up on barges in the river. A third option is to transport concrete trucks from the bank to the pier site on barges.

Two more piers -- 1 in Missouri and 4 in Illinois -- will be installed, but both are much shorter piers.

The next bridge phase will be let in January of 1998, and will include paving for the Illinois approach roadway.

The final phase, to start in fiscal 1999, will include grading and paving from Sprigg Street to the new bridge and removal of the existing river bridge.

Final wrapup: Early 2001

The entire project, which started in 1993 as an eight-year, $133.5 million project, could be completed in early 2001.

"We're looking a four-year time period to complete the actual bridge work," said Hitt. This includes 1996 through 2000, with the final wrapup in early 2001.

Initial work on the bridge -- grading and culverts at the I-55/35 interchange -- started in 1993, and has progressed to today's full-scale construction.

The overpass was completed earlier this spring, and motorists should be able to travel from the interstate to Sprigg Street late next month.

Highway 74 construction between Sprigg and Kingshighway was completed more than a year ago, with first traffic allowed on the new roadway in late February of 1996.

Highway 74 paving from Kingshighway to I-55 has now been completed," said Hitt. "We're doing some shoulder work and seeding right now, and it should be open to traffic late next month."

The old two-lane bridge, opened in 1928, will be torn down once the new bridge is completed. It may be left standing for up to a year, said Hitt, but it must be removed for navigational purposes.

The Missouri Transportation Department tried to sell the old bridge as a historic structure, but received no serious offers.

From Start to Finish

The state approved design location of a new four-lane bridge over the Mississippi River in June of 1987, with work to start within six years.

Initial work leading to the bridge construction did start six years later, in Fiscal 1993.

The proposed bridge will span the Mississippi River at river mile 51.5, about 750 feet downstream from the existing bridge. The new structure will cross over the river, Aquamsi Street and the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks in Missouri.

Cost and schedule

Fiscal 1993

Grading, culverts at I-55 interchange, $3,495,000

Fiscal 1994

Bridges over Cape LaCroix Creek, $3,249,000

Fiscal 1995

Grading, paving from Route 61 to Sprigg st., $10,138,000

Fiscal 1996

Grading, paving I-55 to Route 74 Bridge at I-55/74 interchange

Stage I -- River Bridge, $56,485,000

Fiscal 1997

Stage II -- River bridge

Grading for Illinois approach, paving of I-55/74 interchange, $36,330,000

Fiscal 1998

Stage III -- River bridge

Paving of Illinois approach, $6,129,000

Fiscal 1999

Grading, paving from Sprigg St. to river bridge

Removal of existing river bridge, $3,645,000

Total construction costs, $119,471,000

Engineering and right-of-way costs, $14,106,000

All work is expected to be completed by early 2001

Total project costs, $133,577,000