OFFICIALS: NEW BRIDGE ROUTE SET FOR 1997

The approach to a new Mississippi River bridge, from Interstate 55 to Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau, will be finished in 1997, Missouri Highways and Transportation officials said Wednesday.

"We're proceeding with plans for the bridge," said Joe Mickes, chief engineer with the department. "Work is under way on the Missouri side of the river, and Illinois officials have allotted funds for core drilling on their side of the river."

Mickes, who was at the annual Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Highway Dinner Wednesday night at the Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau, said he met with Kirk Brown, chief engineer with the Illinois Department of Transportation, this week.

"Missouri is the lead state in the bridge project," said Mickes. "Illinois officials are very supportive, and will work with us."

District 10 engineer Freeman McCullah, who will assume duties as St. Louis Metro District engineer on Dec. 1, added that the bridge project is proceeding on schedule.

Jim Murray, who will replace McCullah as District 10 engineer in Southeast Missouri, and Tom Stehn, District 10 design engineer, were among state transportation officials who joined area representatives at the meeting Wednesday, which was sponsored by the chamber's Surface Transportation Committee.

Larry H. Payne, chairman of the committee, served as master of ceremonies. He presented McCullah with a plaque of appreciation from the chamber for his service in the Southeast Missouri District since 1991.

John Oliver Jr. of Cape Girardeau, vice chairman of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, was keynote speaker during the dinner.

Oliver discussed the partnership concept between residents and the department.

"When you combine vision with good will, good intentions and cooperation, you can get jobs done," said Oliver, who cited the funding for an extension of Nash Road east from I-55 to the Southeast Missouri Regional Port as an example of such cooperation.

"People had a vision," said Oliver. "They asked when the project would be done, not if it would be done. A spirit of cooperation to find a cohesive plan to move forward was demonstrated."

Oliver said that same vision was necessary for the Mississippi River Bridge project.

"The Cape bridge won't move to the other side of the river unless we move together," he said.

The passage of the Proposition A fuel-tax increase and implementation of a highway plan has enabled the highway department to build partnerships with local communities.

Prop A funds are being used for the continued construction of the river bridge approach here.

"We're looking at four construction projects for the approach to the bridge," said Stehn. "And our goal is to complete them by the end of 1977."

The four projects, with a price tag of about $25 million, include Sprigg Street to Kingshighway, Kingshighway to west of Mt. Auburn Road, overpass and interchange work at Interstate 55, and Sprigg Street east to the new bridge.

Construction on the first three segments will be done simultaneously.

In another announcement Wednesday night, Payne said that Environmental Science-Engineering of St. Louis will study sites in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson areas for Highways 25, 34, and 72. A route plan will be finalized over the next 18 months so that development projects can be planned around the highways.