By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The highway bill that President Bush signed into law Wednesday includes $240 million for a new Mississippi River bridge.
But don't expect shovels to start turning for a while.
While $240 million sounds like a lot, it's still less than a quarter of the current cost of a new bridge at St. Louis. That's why officials in both states recently went back to the drawing board to find ways to build it for less.
But that also means more delays. It also means a lot of money still has to be found.
And MO-DOT spokeswoman Debbie Allen says getting money is only the first of many steps. "We still have to complete final design, purchase right-of-way, and relocate utilities," she said Wednesday.
"So we're looking at maybe three years from now, in terms of breaking ground."
The new bridge would ease traffic on the Poplar Street Bridge, which currently carries three interstates across the river. For KWMU... I'm Tom Weber.