Today, U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao urging the agency to approve a grant application for the replacement of the Merchants Bridge, a 127 year-old bridge spanning the Mississippi River between Venice, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri.

As the letter states, the Merchants Bridge, “is a vital asset of the nation’s freight network between St. Louis and Chicago that supports: six Class I railroads operating in the United States: the TRRA and Amtrak; the nation’s third largest inland port; two international cargo airports: St. Louis International Airport and MidAmerica St. Louis Airport; and four Interstate Highways: I-44, I-55, I-64, and I-70.”

The letter goes on to mention, “Failing to address the bridge’s structural problems now will cause major disruptions in the nation’s multi-modal freight network and passenger travel options while posing a significant safety hazard for trains crossing the bridge.”

Representatives Billy Long, Jason Smith, Sam Graves, and Ann Wagner cosigned the letter.