The historic Chester Bridge was demolished in front of a large crowd of spectators from both Missouri and Illinois Monday Sept. 28. The Bridge was opened in 1942, originally operating as a toll bridge until 1989. Plans for a new bridge connecting Chester and Perryville began in 2018, the old bridge was closed in the summer of 2026 when the new Don Welge Memorial Bridge, which began construction in 2023 was completed and opened next to it. Lynda Simpson of Chester won a raffle to press the button triggering the implosion, but she decided to pass the honor along to former Chester Mayor Tom Page. Cranes immediately moved in to begin cleaning debris from the river, a process expected to take approximately 48 hours. For more on the event and the history of the Chester Bridge, see next week’s edition.
