Emerson Bridge symbolizes growth

Southeast Missourian

The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge has become more than a means across the Mississippi River. The cable-stay span has quickly become a Cape Girardeau icon, a symbol of progress.

The impact of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge has already revealed itself in many ways and will continue to do so years into the future.

In this technological age where the information highway can take a person to millions of sites, it's still the concrete roads and bridges that allow people to get where they need to go.

The bridge is one piece, perhaps the biggest piece, of transportation improvements in the region. But there are many others that made progress in the last year.

The bridge

It took about 20 years and $100 million to lobby for, plan and build a bridge across the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau.

There is obviously a big return in that investment. People who would never cross the rusty, narrow 75-year-old bridge before now aren't afraid to cross the four-lane span.

The bridge also makes it easier for Illinois patrons to spend their money in Missouri and vice versa.

Kenny Martin, the manager at Karpet Korner in East Cape Girardeau, Ill., said he has seen an increase in business of about 30 percent since the bridge was dedicated in December.

"It's been a long time coming," he said. "We're getting business from a lot of people who were scared to come across. That was strange to me because I drove across all the time. It was just part of life. But a lot of people were just scared to cross that bridge."

Just two months after the opening, Martin as well as everyday commuters and truckers who now have a direct connection to Interstate 55 are already seeing the benefits.

The long-term benefits, says industrial recruiter Mitch Robinson, could be even larger.

Route 66

The bridge is the one card in Cape Girardeau's deck that's large enough to get the City of Roses in the high-stakes game of Route 66.

Route 66 is an immense, cross-country interstate vision that's many years if not decades away from reality. Still, a new, major east-west corridor could be as important to the region as Interstate 55.

Currently, government transportation officials are trying to determine whether the proposed route should cross the Mississippi River in Kentucky or take a route through Illinois.

Illinois, once not interested in the project, has "changed their attitude 180 degrees," Robinson said.

Now that Illinois has shown an interest, the route westward could go through Cape Girardeau or farther south near Charleston.

Sikeston officials hope the route passes through Charleston. They say it makes sense for it to pass through on Highway 60, the other big project in the Southeast Missouri region. Construction on Highway 60 is almost complete. Motorists can now drive on four lanes all the way to Van Buren, Mo.

Route 34/72

While the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge is completed except for the official lighting ceremony, and while Highway 60 is almost complete, there are other projects on the drawing board that will have major local if not regional impact.

One of the bigger local projects about to get started is the widening of Highways 34 and 72 in Jackson.

The project includes the widening of the road from two lanes to four from the intersection at Hope Street in Jackson to the 34/72 junction outside the city.

The Missouri Department of Transportation plans to start the first phase of the construction, from Hope to West Main, this summer. MoDOT will begin right of way acquisitions on the second phase this year as well.

AB/25 connection

A project that could have major economic impact is the extension of Route AB to Highway.

Route AB services the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority and the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport as well as several industries on Nash Road.

"From getting workers to and from their facilities, to getting raw materials in and finished products out, transportation is a critical item for every industry," Robinson said.

Scott Meyer, the Missouri Department of Transportation district engineer, said the AB-25 connection is still in the discussion and planning stage, but an agreement has been made for an exchange between the state and Cape Girardeau County.

He said the county would help pay for the construction of the road and assume the maintenance on some lower-volume outer roads. In turn, the state would take over and maintain the new AB-25 connection that is sure to take a heavy beating with a large volume of truck traffic.

The project is scheduled to be built in 2006.

34/72 widening

Bollinger County is due to see some improvements to Highway 72 in the coming years. MoDOT has plans to resurface the highway from Fredericktown to just outside Jackson, but the work will be done in "8- to 10-mile chunks," Meyer said.

MoDOT will replace two bridges and improve the Highway 51-72 junction at Patton to create better sight distances. The state also will improve the shoulders.

Main Street interchange

Construction of an Interstate 55 interchange in Jackson is not far away, but the city is having some difficulty acquiring right of way from property owners.

Jackson plans to extend Main Street out to the Interstate. Jackson and MoDOT officials have agreed to split the cost of the interchange 50/50.

Jackson is in the process of acquiring right of way for the Main Street extension, from Oak Hill Road to about 2,000 feet from I-55.

Maintenance projects

While many of the new and just-completed projects are exciting to residents of towns, Meyer said MoDOT has made it a priority to take care of existing roads and highways.

MoDOT has put aside $100 million, which will be fully funded in 2006, to get the state's interstate system in better shape.

Meyer said the Southeast Missouri district has awarded a $1 million contract to Apex Paving Company of Cape Girardeau for 44 miles of resurfacing in Cape Girardeau, Madison, Perry and Bollinger counties this year.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635

MoDOT projects

The Missouri Department of Transportation is planning 44 miles of roadway resurfacing projects in Cape Girardeau, Madison, Perry and Bollinger counties this year. This includes:

Cape Girardeau County

2.3 miles of Route PP (From Highway 34-72 to the end of state maintenance)

5.5 miles of Route V (From Highway 177 north to Highway 177 South)

4.8 miles of Route Z (From Route F to Highway 25)

4.9 miles of Highway 25 (from Route K to Highway 74)

Madison, Bollinger counties

9.1 miles of Route A (from Route M to Highway 51)

Madison, Bollinger, Perry counties

17.8 miles of Route J (from Highway 72 to Highway 51)

Source: Missouri Department of Transportation