City, state and Union Pacific Railroad officials celebrated continued work on the Bicentennial Bridge on Tuesday afternoon with the announcement of the railroad's contribution to the project.
Union Pacific has donated $200,000 to the $3.5 million project.
"This project allows us to be at the intersection of history with Union Pacific and the state of Missouri," said Clint Schelbitzki, Union Pacific assistant vice president of public affairs. "Our community ties program really seeks out communities where we can help them prosper. This bridge, building out to Adrian's Island, really does that."
Construction of the bridge, which will go from near the Capitol to Adrian's Island, began in February. The 826-foot bridge will grant regular access to Adrian's Island, which is a roughly 30-acre stretch of forest and wetland separated from the rest of the city by the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.
Mayor Carrie Tergin said the project is short about $500,000.
David Bange, city engineer, said the work is coming along and the first parts of girder should be placed in the next few weeks.
The girder is the main horizontal part of the bridge, which supports the walkway.
The city hopes the bridge will be completed by the end of the year with a significant amount finished by Missouri's bicentennial celebrations in August.
Along with the donation announcement, Schelbitzki unveiled the artwork, which will appear on one piece of walkway siding on the bridge.
It features a picture of Abraham Lincoln looking over the railroad with the Union Pacific logo.
Lincoln signed legislation which allowed for the building of the first transcontinental railroad, which Schelbitzki said Union Pacific wouldn't exist without.
Gov. Mike Parson also celebrated the bridge's progress as a good example of a partnership between the private sector, state, county and local governments.
Additionally, he said it serves as an example of strong infrastructure.
"What better example of infrastructure?" he said. "There are roads leading up to this bridge. If you go across the bridge, you're going across train tracks and that bridge is going to take you to the river. If that doesn't have every piece of infrastructure we have in our state. We just need a river plane out there."
The bridge will also give people a new perspective and viewpoint of the Capitol, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe said.
The Bicentennial Bridge is named in recognition of Missouri's 200th anniversary of statehood this year.
"We're not done," Parson said. "This bicentennial there's a lot more cities to take care of."