ILLINOIS AUTHORIZES PAYBACK ON BRIDGE LOAN

One of the top multimillion-dollar projects in Illinois' five-year, $5.5 billion transportation plan is $45.4 million for construction of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau.

The bulk of the money will be used to repay a $38.6 million loan Illinois got from the Missouri Department of Transportation last year, said Martha Schiegel of the Illinois Department of Transportation.

"Missouri is the lead agency on the construction of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge," said Schiegel.

Illinois was already paying its share for construction of a bridge over the Mississippi River at Hannibal when plans for the Emerson bridge were announced. Illinois officials wanted to wait for federal discretionary funds before moving ahead with the replacement of the aging Cape Girardeau bridge. That could have been another three to four years, and Illinois couldn't afford to contribute to the project.

Under an agreement by the two states, The Missouri Transportation Finance Corp. loaned $28 million to the Illinois Department of Transportation under a plan approved by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission. The other $10.6 million in loan money came from the Missouri Department of Transportation's regular budget.

Illinois will repay the loan, with interest, over the next eight years. In all, Illinois will pay Missouri $43.9 million under the agreement by the two states.

Construction of the bridge started in 1996.

The federal government will pay 80 percent of the cost, with Missouri and Illinois contributing the other 20 percent.

Construction has been delayed on the $90 million span, but work on the four-lane bridge could resume in May.

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission is expected to award contracts for the work when it meets today .

The $50.8 million construction contract for the main span of the bridge at Cape Girardeau was terminated in December by mutual agreement of the contractor and the Department of Transportation. The termination occurred after fissures were discovered in the bedrock where a bridge pier was to be anchored in the river.

About 20 percent of the bridge work has been completed, including much of the work on the Missouri-side pier. The delay in having to find a new contractor is expected to move back the construction timetable a year, with completion targeted for 2002.