Sometime in 2004, new signs for the Missouri 74 exit in Cape Girardeau appeared. On at least one sign, an Illinois marker appeared along with the usual marker for Missouri 74.
Technically speaking, this may be a sign goof, because the sign would seem to indicate a direct connection with Illinois 146, which wouldn't make sense under the circumstances. Adding the word TO just to the left of the Illinois 146 marker would fix that problem.
Missouri 74 goes to downtown Cape Girardeau and the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, which replaced an earlier bridge over the Mississippi River. The new cable-stayed bridge opened to traffic on December 13, 2003.
The Missouri Department of Transportation also has photos of the bridge's construction and dedication at its District 10 site.
Photos courtesy of Adam Froehlig (upper left, taken June 29, 2004) and Rich Piehl (lower left, taken March 3, 2005)