Today marked a significant development for Missouri infrastructure with the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Lance Corporal Leon Deraps I-70 Missouri River Bridge at Rocheport, according to Missouri Department of Transportation. The ceremony was attended by Governor Mike Parson, Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, other state and local officials, as well as community leaders and relatives of the namesake Marine.

This infrastructure achievement is part of the Improve I-70 program, which promises to widen the interstate across Missouri the old bridge, dating back to 1960, previously bore the load of over 37,000 vehicles daily, among them 8,800 commercial transports, and the new twin bridges are anticipated to ease the heavy burden of congestion with three lanes for traffic to flow in each direction.

Officials present at the opening spoke highly of the collaborative efforts that made the bridge a reality, with speakers including Bryan Nichols representing U.S. Congressman Sam Graves, MoDOT's Director Ed Hassinger, MoDOT Central District Engineer Machelle Watkins, and MHTC Chairman W. Dustin Boatwright, who emphasized teamwork and contributions at all government levels.

The construction of the bridge, an impressive $220 million venture that started in early 2022, has managed to stay on schedule with eastbound traffic expected to be shuffling onto the new bridge this month; funding was sourced from the city of Boonville, the city of Columbia, Boone County, Cooper County and with a sizeable $81.2 million INFRA grant with the contribution from Missouri U.S. Congressman Sam Graves securing it, so said MHTC Chairman Boatwright that "These twin new bridges would not have been possible without the foresight, cooperation and contributions of our federal and state elected leaders as well as the local communities who recognized the long-term value of investing in a bridge that connects their region, the state and the nation," as stated by Missouri Department of Transportation.