The governors of the US states of Illinois and Missouri have announced an agreement to build a new bridge over the Mississippi River. The US$640 million project involves construction of a cable-stayed structure 1.6km north of the existing Martin Luther King Bridge.

Construction could begin as soon as 2010 and is expected to take four to six years to complete. The total estimated project cost of $640 million includes $306 million for the bridge and approaches, $264 million for new road connections in Illinois and $70 million for new road connections in Missouri. The bridge and connecting roads will be paid for through a combination of federal and state funding.