FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Alton, IL – Nov. 4, 2024) Plans for two significant new National Scenic Byway corridor activation projects are moving forward in the Great Rivers & Routes region of southwest Illinois with both slated to open Spring 2026 along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway between Hartford and Grafton.

The new Byway Discovery Center, a 4,500-square-foot visitor orientation facility will be constructed on a parcel of land near the mouth of Piasa Creek, on the Madison/Jersey County line, west of Alton on the Scenic Byway. The Center will feature new hardscapes including landscaping, parking with access for motor coach buses, outdoor gathering and learning areas, interpretive panels, an outdoor art installation, kiosks, a riverside trail, and kayak landing. The site is also immediately upstream of the US Army Corps of Engineers Piasa Creek Recreation Area and Boater Access. The center itself will include 1,400 square feet of permanent exhibit space, a gift shop, lecture facilities and public restrooms. The center will be open seven days a week and will be managed by the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau.

“Our Staff and Board are very excited about the prospect of having our new center so keenly positioned on the Great River Road where visitors will be treated to a natural riverscape and viewshed. This river corridor boasts over 38,000 acres of safely accessible public lands and river accesses providing visitors and residents with the opportunity for outdoor recreation, water-based activities, active living amenities including hiking trails, paddling trails, hunting and fishing”, said Cory Jobe, President & CEO of The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau.
“It’s really a full immersion experience that we hope will help our visitors and local families discover and fully enjoy. The center will also actively raise awareness and direct attention to the important work of effectively stewarding our public lands and riverside communities that are such a rich part of this region’s history and culture.”

Meanwhile, downstream near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, improvements at the Lewis & Clark Confluence Tower site in Hartford includes major renovations to the Confluence Tower, park expansion, public art installations, a new playscape area for children and an expanded and updated visitor center experience celebrating the Lewis & Clark Expedition and the American Bottoms Natural Heritage Area.

These much-anticipated projects are funded by a portion of a $10 Million Capital Bill Grant received by the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau to create and enhance products that celebrate the region’s working rivers and history of the region along the 33-mile Scenic Byway which runs from Hartford to just north of Grafton.

“Since 2020, visitor spending in the region has increased by $100 Million. Visitor spending related to outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism expenditures has increased by 22 percent over the last two years,” Mr. Jobe says adding, “Soon we will be able to add the new Byway Discovery Center that will orient visitors and residents to the history and culture of our working river region while also making visitors aware of outdoor active living opportunities, related festivals, and serve as an introduction to our river corridor communities. In addition, Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau will be installing ten kayak kiosk rental stations along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers in Madison, Jersey, and Calhoun Counties to connect active living enthusiasts and water trail early adopters to the river.”

Determining a location for the proposed Byway Discovery Center was the largest hurdle for that specific component of the grant projects. Originally Piasa Park in Alton was investigated as a potential site, but ownership of the land and potential tax liabilities of the property unfortunately made it unfeasible. A second proposed site, also in Alton, was eliminated after discussions with city officials and organizations,
Mr. Jobe noted. The new site, just west of Alton on the Great River Road, sits directly on the Byway route and connects the Byway Discovery Center directly to the Mississippi River and the soon to be completed Upper Mississippi River Restoration project at the Piasa and Eagle’s Nest Island Complex, a US Army Corps Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project (HREP).

“This site really speaks to the mission of the grant which is to create product with a connection to the Byway that connects visitors to the region to outdoor recreation and associated nature-based tourism,” Mr. Jobe noted. “We are working with partners, the State of Illinois, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Great Rivers Land Trust to tell the story of our working rivers and connecting directly to the Mississippi River and its impact on our region as a special regional asset for residents and local businesses, a historic working river and a nationally iconic nature-based tourism attraction.”

The Byway Discover Center is designed to contribute to the livability of the region while further activating the Byway Corridor with other key projects and programming that steward key natural and cultural assets, promote active living and build a vibrant livability destination for leisure travelers, our residents, businesses, investors and others, Mr. Jobe noted.

“This is the perfect partnership and what I believe to be the best compatible use for the site,” noted Alley Ringhausen of the Great Rivers Land Trust. “Not only is it a beautiful building that is proposed, but the location is ideal for people traveling the National Great Rivers Scenic Byway. It is centrally located along the corridor and offers visitors direct access to the river for additional recreational activities. Great Rivers Land Trust is excited to be part of the project.”

Design and engineering firms working on both the Byway Discover Center and the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower include SMS Engineers of Alton; Henderson Associates Architects of Edwardsville, Kennedy Hutson Associates Architects of Monticello; the Hitchcock Design Group of Naperville; and Taylor Studios of Rantoul, all Illinois based businesses.

“Thank you to the State of Illinois, the Illinois Office of Tourism and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity for their desire to protect and grow visitor amenities along the Byway and this investment in our Great Rivers Region and downstate Illinois,” Mr. Jobe said. “We also wish to thank the ongoing support we have received from byway corridor mayors and residents of Calhoun, Jersey, and Madison Counties.”

-30-

(The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is a certified Destination Marketing Organization serving Madison, Jersey, Calhoun, Macoupin, Montgomery and Greene counties and East St. Louis in St. Clair County. The bureau is dedicated to educating visitors about the region by providing information regarding the area’s history, unique landmarks, recreational opportunities, leisure attractions, special events and scenic marvels.)