Construction to begin on new bridge in northeast Missouri

LOUISIANA, Mo. -- Construction is about to begin on a new Mississippi River bridge at Louisiana.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said Thursday a groundbreaking ceremony will be Sept. 8 in Louisiana, a town of 3,300 residents 100 miles north of St. Louis.

The new Champ Clark Bridge will replace the old, narrow bridge with the same name that has stood since 1928. The bridge has been forced to close for repair several times in recent years.

MoDOT officials said the new bridge will feature 12-foot-wide driving lanes and 10-foot-wide shoulders. The project will cost about $60 million, and the new bridge is expected to open by the fall of 2019.

Champ Clark was a congressman from nearby Bowling Green who served as speaker of the House from 1911 to 1919.

Pertinent address:

Louisiana, Mo.