Ronald Reagan Trail in Illinois
Posted on 2/20/2005, 9:15:29 PM by Land_of_Lincoln_John
ST. LOUIS (AP) There's no money to start building a new Mississippi River bridge, but the $1.6 billion project has a proposed name: The Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Bridge.
Lawmakers in Illinois, Missouri and the nation's capital have discussed an eight-lane bridge north of the Edward Jones Dome for more than a decade.
The Missouri Legislature will consider bills this session that would make Ronald Wilson Reagan Memorial Bridge the official title.
Missouri Sen. John Loudon, R-Ballwin, who is sponsoring bill, said he believes the name will be embraced in Illinois because Reagan was born there. But Illinois lawmakers have not been included in any of Missouri's naming efforts. Illinois is the lead state in the project and would own the structure.
Illinois state Rep. Jay Hoffman and chairman of the House Transportation Committee said the bridge should be built before naming it.
``I'd hate to have a bridge that's simply a pipe dream, with no funding, named after a great president,'' he said.
Highway planners contend another Mississippi River bridge is needed to relieve traffic congestion on the Poplar Street Bridge, which is one of two bridges in the country that has three interstates.
Lawmakers hope Congress approves enough money this spring to create a construction schedule. But even if state highway funding on both sides falls through, each state is looking for ways to start construction without it, including tolling the Missouri side of the bridge to pay off construction debt.
I wonder what the other one is..
The bridge to the 21st century???
Prolly Kennedy Bridge over the Ohio in Louisville, Ky.
Some of the larger projects slated for completion with revenues provided by the bill include repairs to the crumbling Crosstown Expressway Bridge that connects three interstates in Oklahoma City...
Our Gov Daley and his assistant Blowjobavich wouldn't have it.
Blago to his credit issued the executive order re-naming i-88, the former East/West Tollway after Reagan. Only good thing he's done! Too bad it's a tollway. Odd, the local media almost never refers to it as "the Reagan."
Then he doubled the tolls for anybody paying cash. I doubt the Gipper would have liked that.
Tear down these tollbooths!
Yep, but I think WLS-AM does (or maybe it was WIND?).
Anyway, One day I was ON 88 and the traffic report came on and it mentioned 'the Reagan'. I had a brain freeze and didn't know what she was talking about for a sec, then went - DOH! I'm on it.
(and yes it IS the only good thing the iijt gov has done. He'll be 'one term' and bye-bye)
Good one! I like it.
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