ILLINOIS' SHARE OF RIVER BRIDGE COSTS REMAINS UNCOMMITTED

The new Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau will cost the state $68 million.

Illinois will share the cost of the bridge, but what will it share?

State highway officials in Illinois admit there is uncertainty about where the money will come from.

"It's like we're standing on the outside of the fence watching the ball game," said Bill Kirk of the Illinois Department of Transportation's Carbondale office.

"All the negotiating is going on in Springfield and Jefferson City," he said. "On a district level, we have to wait and see."

Illinois has yet to commit the millions needed to pay for its portion of the bridge. The project was included in the state's $5.4 billion, five-year highway program signed by Gov. Jim Edgar in May, making it a state priority.

But state funding for the bridge was left out of the plan. That fact left Illinois highway officials uncertain and skeptical.

"Sometimes identifying a source of funding for a project like this takes a long time," said Dale Janik, chief of programming for the Illinois Department of Transportation in Springfield.

"And it's true, not all of the funding picture is in place at this time."

Some of the estimated $20 million Illinois is expected to contribute to the project will come from the federal highway program. But on a state level, Janik said Illinois and Missouri aren't in synch when it comes to highway project funding.

"The discretionary bridge pot is smaller (in Illinois)," he said. "Missouri just had an increase in the gas tax, so they're looking for ways to spend it. They suggested the states fund all of the cost of the bridge, and that we just split the cost.

"They're in a position that they can do that. We're not."

Missouri is the lead state in the bridge project, meaning the state will oversee all construction and maintenance of the bridge. But Illinois is still required to share in the costs, Janik said.

"We do that with all bridges we build between Illinois and Missouri. One state has to be the lead state each time," he said. "We just take turns, and Missouri is handling this one."

But if the spirit of cooperation is vital to the bridge project, Missouri officials are wondering if that cooperation will begin with a pledge of money.

"We've got problems with the state of Illinois, but we're going ahead with our side," said Jerry Masterson, design engineer with the Missouri Highway Department.

"In fact, we will probably enter into a final contract with the consultant who will do the final design within the next six months.

"As for Illinois, there are some loose ends. But I think we're resolving it. I don't think there are problems that we can't resolve."

Illinois officials don't seem as confident.

"Hopefully, the construction won't be delayed because of these funding uncertainties," Kirk said.

The cost to Illinois is smaller because much less roadwork and highway construction adjacent to the bridge has to be done on the Illinois side. In Missouri, a highway from the bridge to Interstate 55 is planned. This has added millions to the overall cost of the bridge for the state.

Also adding millions is the cost of relocating more than 100 people living in the area in Cape Girardeau where the bridge will be built two blocks south of the existing span.

The bridge will cross Aquamsi Street and Highway 74 and will proceed west on College Street. At Pacific, the highway will begin to curve south and cross West End Boulevard and Minnesota, then cross Cape LaCroix Creek.

In continues west, crossing Kingshighway between Hickory and Rust Avenue, then goes on to cross Silver Springs Road and intersect Interstate 55.

Relocation and real estate costs in that area are estimated to be $6 million.

On the Illinois side, the bridge will not forge into an existing neighborhood, so state costs of purchasing property rights are much less. A short span of roadway will be built so that the bridge will meet Illinois Route 146, Kirk said.

The design of the Illinois bridge approach has yet to be finalized, he said.