Illinois, Missouri celebrate completion of Chester’s Don Welge Memorial Bridge

CHESTER - The Illinois Department of Transportation over the weekend joined state and local leaders, along with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and the Missouri Department of Transportation, to celebrate the completion of the new Don Welge Memorial Bridge, another achievement made possible by Gov. JB Pritzker's historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. The ribbon cutting marked the culmination of years of collaboration between Illinois and Missouri to replace the vital river crossing connecting Randolph County, Illinois and Perry County, Missouri, via Illinois 150 and Missouri 51.

"The Don Welge bridge is essential to connecting Chester to the region and Illinois to the Midwest," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. "Through the governor's capital program and the strong partnership with our neighboring states, we look forward to continuing to replace and revitalize these critical border bridges up and down the state." ​

The $307.1 million project replaces the Chester Bridge, built in 1942, with a modern bridge that improves safety, mobility and reliability for the public, commercial vehicles and agricultural traffic that travels between Illinois and Missouri each day. Overseen by MoDOT, the project was made possible through a partnership between Missouri and Illinois, with IDOT investing approximately $143.2 million in the bridge and the Illinois approach through Rebuild Illinois.

The new bridge features two 12-foot lanes with shoulders, replacing the aging structure with a wider, safer and more reliable crossing. The improvements ensure the bridge will continue to serve as an important transportation link supporting regional commerce, agriculture, emergency services and local travel in southern Illinois and southeast Missouri.

The bridge, named in honor of longtime Chester resident and bridge advocate Don Welge, carries 7,000 vehicles daily, with approximately 25% being commercial motor vehicle traffic. Visit www.modot.org/donwelge for more information on the project.

Rebuild Illinois is investing a total of $33.2 billion over six years into the state's aging transportation system, creating jobs and promoting economic growth. RBI is not only the largest capital program in state history, but also the first that touches all modes of transportation: roads and bridges, transit, waterways, freight and passenger rail, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. ​

Accomplishments through March 31 of Rebuild Illinois include approximately $24 billion of improvements statewide on 23,081 miles of highways, 920 bridges and 1,393 additional safety improvements. Visit https://idot.click/Rebuild-Illinois for information and highlights of other Rebuild Illinois projects happening throughout the state. ​ ​

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