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Chester Bridge

Chester Bridge

Information

618-826-1430
lat: 37.9023098 long: -89.8371554

The Chester Bridge is a local icon as over 7,000 vehicles daily use it to cross the Mississippi River. It was opened with fanfare in 1942 as part of a highway project connecting Illinois and Missouri over the Mississippi River, but was damaged severely in a tornado just two years later. After $1.5 million in repairs, the bridge was reopened and has been reliably serving people on both sides of the Mississippi River since 1946.

The bridge is 670 feet long and 22 feet wide spanning the 650 foot channel of the Mississippi River at Chester.  The Illinois/Missouri state line runs along the center of this channel.  The bridge was initially known as the “Crow Fly Route” because it is the only bridge across the Mississippi between St. Louis, MO and Cape Girardeau, MO.  The Chester Bridge was also featured in the academy award winning movie, In the Heat of the Night.

The bridge begins near the Chester Welcome Center and the statue of Popeye, paying homage to the great cartoonist E.C. Segar, who was born and raised in Chester. When visiting Chester, make a stop at the Welcome Center to gather information and take in the view of the bridge across the Mighty Mississippi from its observation deck.

 

Nearby Attractions

Distance Unit:

Elzie C. Segar Memorial Park
Elzie C. Segar Memorial Park

Chester Welcome Center, 10 Bridge Bypass Rd, Chester, IL 62233, USA
Distance: 0.25 Away

General History

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Chester Welcome Center
Chester Welcome Center

Chester Welcome Center, Bridge Bypass Road, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.25 Away

Museums and Interpretive Centers

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Chester, Illinois
Chester, Illinois

Chester Welcome Center, Bridge Bypass Road, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.25 Away

Cultural Districts

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Popeye Character Trail
Popeye Character Trail

Segar Memorial Park
Distance: 0.26 Away

General History Outdoor Experiences

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St. Nicholas Landmark
St. Nicholas Landmark

St. Nicholas Landmark, Ferry Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.47 Away

Food and Drinks

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Frederick Weistar House
Frederick Weistar House

Frederick Weistar House Historic Site, Chestnut Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.47 Away

Other

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Randolph County Courthouse and Annex
Randolph County Courthouse and Annex

Randolph County IL Courthouse, West Taylor Street, Chester, Illinois, USA
Distance: 0.49 Away

Museums and Interpretive Centers

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Horse Island Lewis & Clark Historic Marker
Horse Island Lewis & Clark Historic Marker

174 MO-51, Perryville, MO 63775, USA
Distance: 0.56 Away

LC Features

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Cohen Memorial Home
Cohen Memorial Home

Cohen Memorial Home, Harrison Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 0.69 Away

Guided Tours Viewpoints

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Old Fire Station
Old Fire Station

822 Swanwick St, Chester, IL 62233, USA
Distance: 0.90 Away

General History

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Spinach Can Collectibles
Spinach Can Collectibles

Spinach Can Collectibles, State Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 1.01 Away

Shopping

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Christian Weinrich House
Christian Weinrich House

217 Opdyke Street, Chester, IL, USA
Distance: 1.04 Away

General History

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