The Missouri Senate has given first-round approval to legislation that would name the new Mississippi River Bridge under construction in St. Louis after Cardinals’ legend Stan Musial.
Before the vote, the bill was amended to name the stretch of I-70 that will cross over the new bridge for Andy Gammon. He was a member of the construction crew who fell to his death while working on the bridge last year. The measure is sponsored by GOP Senator Eric Schmitt of St. Louis County .
“When we had the hearing in the Transportation Committee, a friend of his testified,” Schmitt said. “He wanted his friend remembered in some way, and so we just tried to figure out a way to make that happen. Naming the bridge after Stan (Musial) and the highway that begins there after Andy (Gammon) seemed like a good compromise and a good way to honor both folks.”
The bill needs one more vote before moving to the Missouri House. The bridge and highway names also need the approval of Illinois lawmakers.
