When the bridge was completed, in the summer of 1928, it was hailed as “The Gateway to the Ozarks.” It provided an invaluable and vital link between Missouri and Illinois.A small, restored portal of the old bridge is all that remains. At the overlook, there is a viewing scope that provides a commanding view of the Mississippi River.There is access to the River Campus Trail, which provides a leisurely walkway along these historic grounds, bordering the river. Interpretive signage is scattered along the trail. A new bridge, The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, opened in December, 2003 to replace the bridge of 1928.