MoDOT updates public on Chester Bridge progress

PERRYVILLE, Mo. (KFVS) - Members of MoDOT’s Chester Bridge project group displayed the final designs for the new bridge at a public meeting in Perryville on Wednesday.

“Hopefully they take away an understanding of what the project is going to look like, ”said Project Director Brian Okenfuss.

The designs look very different from the current bridge people are familiar with.

“The existing structure is a trust bridge. The new bridge is going to be a cable-stayed structure,” Okenfuss said.

David Holder is one of the community members who attended the meeting.

“I saw the specific route--I had a general idea of where it was going to be, but they have it laid out on one of the tables and we have a much better rendering of what the new bridge is going to look like, ” Holder said.

Holder says he is excited to watch the project come along.

“This is something that’s been needed for an extended period of time,” Holder said. “I began hearing information about this bridge almost ten years ago when they were discussing doing it and it is nice to see that it is finally up on the agenda and it is going to be taken care of.”

Okenfuss says construction should start sometime next month, with an estimated completion date of December 1, 2026. He hopes the community enjoys watching the project come together from the ground up.

”It’s really an exciting thing for the communities to see a new bridge like this,” Okenfuss said. “Only happens about once every 100 years.”

For those unable to attend in person, information shared during the meeting will be available online.

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