Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge

The Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau was one of the wonders of the Midwestern world when it opened in 1928. At the time, it was the only vehicular bridge across the river between St. Louis and Memphis.

People previously crossed the river at Cape Girardeau on ferries with names like the Effie Buffington, the City of Cairo and the Pawpaw. The bridge was heralded as a gateway to economic growth. When stock was offered to finance the bridge, citizens put up more than $400,000 in five days. It was Cape Girardeau's belated bridge to the 20th century.

Withstanding minor earthquakes and collisions with runaway barges, the bridge served this region sturdily for 75 years. But transportation growth and the passing of the years ended the old bridge's usefulness. The city's population has more than doubled, and the old bridge has required frequent repairs and safety monitoring.

Today, the dedication of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge provides the region with a structure that dwarfs the old bridge both in capabilities and size. The new $100 million bridge is five times wider than the old bridge, providing four lanes of traffic and 10-foot-wide shoulders, compared to two lanes and no shoulders. The Emerson Bridge is even more of a cultural landmark, designating the region's entrance into the 21st century.

The new state-of-the-art, cable-stayed bridge, a monument to the science of engineering, sits astride the Mississippi River like a magnificent stringed instrument. At night the cables will be illuminated by 140 lights donated by organizations and individuals.

The two towers reaching 300 feet above the Mississippi River can be seen from the city's western limits miles away. Though the bridge is less than a mile long, 171 miles of silvery cables stretch between the towers and bridge deck. More than 7,500 truckloads of cement were required to build the bridge's 15 piers.

The Emerson Bridge faced and overcame many obstacles. After construction began, the original contractor was unable to deal with fissures discovered in the bedrock under the river. The new contractor filled the cracks with concrete through a process called jet grouting.

This delay and others meant the bridge took seven years instead of the expected three or four to complete. The old Cape Girardeau Mississippi River bridge required just a year and a half to build.

Among the dignitaries scheduled to participate in the dedication today is U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, widow of the congressman the bridge is named for. Bill Emerson was largely responsible for acquiring the federal funding for the bridge.

The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge also is the threshold to the new arts campus Southeast Missouri State University is creating and to Cape Girardeau's redeveloping downtown with its growing cluster of murals.

This architectural stringed instrument is ready to be played.

(Excerpted from the introduction to the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge Dedication commemorative book, available at today's bridge dedication ceremony.)