The Chester Bridge is a continuous truss bridge connecting Missouri's Route 51 with Illinois Route 150 across the Mississippi River between Perryville, Missouri and Chester, Illinois. It is the only motor-traffic bridge spanning the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, Missouri. History Located at river mile marker 109.5, the Chester Bridge is a two-lane traffic truss bridge which was constructed by Sverdrup and Parcel and Associates, Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri. Construction began in 1941 and was finished in 1942 at a cost of $1.385 million (1942 dollars). The bridge opened on August 23, 1942, and operated as a toll bridge until January 1, 1989. The main span was destroyed by a severe tornadic force thunderstorm on July 29, 1944, and reconstructed 2 years later. The bridge serves about 6,400 vehicles per day. Up to 1989, a toll was charged for crossing the bridge. Inspections in 2020 showed the bridge structure to be "functionally obsolete" and in poor condition, imposing a weight limit of 25 tons. The Missouri Department of Transportation plans to replace the bridge by 2028. Chester Welcome Center The Chester Welcome Center is located in Segar Park next to the Chester Bridge and overlooks the Mississippi River. The park was dedicated to E. C. Segar who was born on December 8, 1894, in Chester, Illinois. Segar is most noted for his cartoon comic "Popeye” which he created in 1929 from his recollections of a local scrapper on the Mississippi River. A six-foot “life-size” bronze statue of Popeye stands near the bridge. Popular culture The Chester Bridge can be seen in the 1967 film In the Heat of the Night, although in the film a highway sign for the (non-existent) "Arkansas 49" highway appears on the east (Illinois) side of the bridge. Gallery See also List of crossings of the Upper Mississippi River References External links Historic Bridges of the U.S. | Chester Bridge | Randolph County, Illinois and Perry County, Missouri Continuous truss bridges in the United States Road bridges in Illinois Bridges over the Mississippi River Bridges completed in 1942 Buildings and structures in Perry County, Missouri Road bridges in Missouri Great River Road Former toll bridges in Illinois Former toll bridges in Missouri 1942 establishments in Illinois Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States Perryville, Missouri Transportation in Perry County, Missouri Transportation in Randolph County, Illinois Buildings and structures in Randolph County, Illinois