An agreement has been reached to build a new Interstate 70 Mississippi River Bridge linking St. Louis with Illinois.

The deal , announced jointly by Missouri Governor Matt Blunt (R-MO) and Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D-IL), is being hailed as vitally important to the economic future of the City of St. Louis, the St. Louis region, and the State of Missouri. The new bridge will be built one mile north of the Martin Luther King Bridge and will have two lanes of traffic in each direction with room to expand to three lanes.

The bridge is projected to cost $640 million with Missouri allocating $93 million and Illinois $213 million for the bridge. Missouri will also spend $70 million for roadway connection while Illinois contributes $264 million. Construction on the new bridge could begin in 2010 and is expected to last four to six years.

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