By Jennifer Wessner  Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Pat  Quinn on Monday joined Missouri lawmakers and officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new bridge that will span the Mississippi River.

The new bridge is the largest project in the statewide construction plan Illinois lawmakers passed last year in an effort to create more jobs in the state.

The Mississippi River Bridge will stretch from St. Clair County in Illinois to St. Louis, Mo. The bridge is expected to take five years to build and cost an estimated $667 million, with $239 million from the federal government, $313 million from Illinois, and $115 from Missouri.

The new bridge will relieve traffic congestion in the area by relocating Interstate 70 from the Poplar Street Bridge, which now carries I-64, I-55, and I-70.

Officials estimate the bridge will create $25.3 billion of economic activity from visitors to the area during the next 45 years.

Quinn called the bridge a win-win for both states.

"There's no better way to celebrate Earth Week and Earth Day which is on Thursday," Quinn said, "than to build a bridge which will ease congestion, create economic activity, help the common good and make the will of the people the law of the land."

The project will create an estimated 2,200 jobs, and 1,200 of those jobs are expected to be based in Illinois. Quinn touted the bridge project as a great job creator for the state.

"The number one issue in America today is jobs," Quinn said. "And jobs, good jobs, middle class jobs, you can support a family on. And the building of this bridge is going to create a lot of economic opportunity for many, many hardworking people."

The bridge project is just one of many construction projects that are getting under way around the state.

Last year, Quinn and state lawmakers passed a $31 billion public works plan. The plan is key to Quinn's efforts to bring jobs back to the state.

"About a year ago we worked in ten weeks to get the funding for our job recovery bill," Quinn said. "It's a large bill. It's designed to put people to work and it took a lot of bipartisanship to do it."

The state will see an increase of work on its roads and bridges, as well as an estimated $12 billion of work for state residents.