Champ Clark Bridge Project

The Missouri and Illinois Departments of Transportation (MoDOT & IDOT) are exploring alternatives for replacing the existing structure on US 54 over the Mississippi River at Louisiana, Missouri. Originally constructed in 1928 as a toll bridge, the Champ Clark Bridge was adopted into the state highway system in 1953. This historic structure is a five-span truss bridge that carries US 54 over the Mississippi River connecting Illinois with Louisiana, Missouri. The existing 20-foot wide deck carries two 10-foot lanes with no shoulders and has a vertical clearance of 14.7 feet.

The Champ Clark Bridge is 88 years old and considered structurally deficient. Its age and condition create an ongoing need for maintenance that is costly and results in the periodic closure of the structure. The bridge design does not meet current IDOT or MoDOT standards for lane widths or shoulders. A section of the existing US 54 roadway east of the river between the bridge and the Sny Levee floods during high water events. On the Missouri side, the Route 54/Route 79 South intersection does not function well.

The primary purpose of this project is to provide a safe, reliable Route 54 crossing over the Mississippi River between Illinois and the city of Louisiana, Missouri. For more detailed and up-to-date information on this project and opportunities to get involved, please visit the Champ Clark Bridge website: http://www.champclarkbridge.com/