This article originally ran in St. Louis Post Dispatch on March 6, 2023.
Construction on the new I-270 Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi River marks another significant milestone for infrastructure investment in our area. It also is a testament to the strength of the continued collaboration that is helping to add capacity and redundancy to the St. Louis region’s world-class freight network.
Over a three-year period during the project planning phase, the unprecedented track record of bi-state unity resulted in more than $600 million in funding secured by both the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation for the bridge replacement, along with improvements to adjacent sections of I-270. The new bridge is part of a regional plan to improve a 30-mile section of I-270 from James S. McDonnell Boulevard in Missouri to Illinois Route 157 in Illinois.