The St. Clair County Board is considering throwing its weight behind naming the new Mississippi River bridge in honor of military veterans.

The board will consider a resolution pushing state legislatures to name the span "The Veterans Bridge" during a meeting tonight at St. Clair County Courthouse. A competing proposal intends to name the bridge after recently deceased Cardinal Stan Musial.

The bridge will carry Interstate 70 across the river and is scheduled to open in 2014. The Illinois portion of the bridge lies in St. Clair County -- home to thousands of veterans and Scott Air Force Base in Mascoutah.

The Missouri and Illinois legislatures must both approve the name of the new bridge.

Hall of Famer Musial died Jan. 19 at the age of 92. Missouri state senators introduced legislation three days later to name the bridge after the baseball player.