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October 24, 2016 10:55 AM, EDT

Officials from the Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation along with elected officials celebrated the dedication of the Dresbach Bridge over the Mississippi River on Oct. 21.

The bridge, which connects La Crescent, Minnesota, with La Crosse, Wisconsin, is expected to carry nearly 30,000 vehicles per day. It replaced a 49-year-old structure that was closed in April.��Construction began on the $187.5 million project nearly four years ago.

“The work it takes to get to this day of celebration requires dedication, skill and partnership, and we appreciate the work with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to achieve this milestone and build a 100-year bridge,” Minnesota DOT Commissioner Charles Zelle said.

“This project represents the same type of collaborative process that’s reflected in virtually every transportation improvement,” Wisconsin Secretary of Transportation Mark Gottlieb said. “This bridge is one of several important projects nearing completion along the I-90 corridor and our shared border.”

Those include river crossings near Red Wing and Stillwater, two Minnesota towns.

The projects are part of MnDOT’s program to replace or improve potentially dangerous bridges after the infamous collapse of the I-35 bridge that killed 13 people in Minneapolis in 2007.