HANNIBAL - "Six more miles of the Avenue - DONE!" is the theme for the ceremony that will pre-empt the opening of the Lewis County portion of the Avenue of the Saints. To be held on Monday, August 20, the event will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Mound Park, just over the Lewis/Clark County line. Dignitaries and area residents are invited to gather at the park for a welcome from the Clark County Commissioners. Immediately following the welcome, MoDOT will lead a caravan of vehicles along the soon-to-be-open southbound lanes of the Avenue. At the end of the six miles, the dignitaries riding in a car driven by Tom Boland, will drive through a newsprint banner commemorating the significance of the event. The final two miles will be driven on already-opened highway to Canton, where they will meet at Dave's Fireworks for the ceremony and a cookout.

Those who plan to speak at the event include Scott Callicott, representative from Congressman Kenny Hulshof's office, Senator Wes Shoemyer, Representative Brian Munzlinger, Canton Mayor Joe Clark, a representative from the SMART group, and Paula Gough, MoDOT's NE District Engineer. The Canton Fire Department is hosting a cookout.

Area residents are invited to participate both in the caravan and the ceremony. Those interested in the caravan need to be at Mound Park between 10 a.m. and 10:15, and carpooling is encouraged. The ceremony in Canton is expected to begin around 11 a.m., with the cookout following.