ALTON, ILL. — Contegra Construction has completed the two-phase, $6 million expansion of the Scientists at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center in Alton, which is located about 15 miles north of St. Louis. Formed by Lewis and Clark Community College and The University of Illinois, the center’s staff studies major rivers, their watersheds and the human communities that depend upon and impact them. Phase I of the project included three pairs of concrete mesocosm raceways, which pump at total of four million gallons of water and plankton a day from the Mississippi River. The mesocosm raceways, each of which is 75 feet long and 6 feet wide, enable researchers to predict effects on river fish populations and develop conservation strategies. Phase II included a 4,800-square-foot addition that features offices, conference space and two laboratories.
