Chester Bridge over the Mississippi River to be replaced with wide, bike-friendly bridge | MoDOT, IDOT

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We are pleased to announce that the study team has identified a tentative Preferred Alternative for the project.

Based on the analysis and impacts of the Reasonable Alternatives presented at the last Community Advisory Group and Public Meeting, Alternative U-1 has been identified as the project’s tentative Preferred Alternative. The map below shows the Chester Bridge Study Reasonable Alternatives with Alternative U-1 in yellow.

The final approval of the project’s Preferred Alternative will occur only after the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reviews and approves the project’s Environmental Assessment (EA). We expect this to occur in early 2019. Until the EA is approved by the FHWA, there exists a possibility that the Preferred Alternative may change.

Once the EA for the Chester Bridge Study is approved, a final Public Hearing will be held. To receive more information related to the Public Hearing in the new year, sign-up for email updates below.

MoBikeFed comment: The current bridge is two lanes with no shoulder; all of the proposed replacement bridges include two lanes with a 10-foot shoulder on each side.

This bridge is on the TransAmerica Trail, U.S. Bicycle Route 76. Additionally it is commonly used by touring bicyclists riding the Mississippi River corridor on either the Mississippi River trail or the Adventure Cycling Association Great Rivers South route.

For that reason, the improved bicycle access on the Chester Bridge that the wider shoulders will provide is a very important improvement for this area.

The Chester Bridge is the only Mississippi River bridge between I-55 in the St. Louis metro area and Cape Girardeau. So it is a very, very important connection for both motorized and nonmotorized traffic.

Aside from the Mississippi River bridge crossings, the Ste. Gen - Modoc River Ferry at Ste Genevieve is a pleasant way to cross the river, and touring cyclists in the area often take advantage of it.

Ste. Gen - Modoc River Ferry: http://stegenmodocferry.com/

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