ST. LOUIS — One of St. Louis' most beloved sports heroes is getting a prominent honor in the city he became an icon.
A stretch of Interstate 64/40 near downtown St. Louis has been re-named the "Bobby Plager Memorial Highway".
The late Blues legend died in 2021 at the age of 78 after suffering a cardiac event while driving on the highway and crashing his vehicle.
The Missouri Department of Transportation installed signs in both directions of the interstate between Jefferson Avenue and Tucker Boulevard near the Blues' home of the Enterprise Center.
"We are pleased with the decision the Missouri Senate has made to re-name a portion of I-64/40 in honor of Bobby," Blues President and CEO Chris Zimmerman said. "As everyone knows, Bobby loved the Blues, and his contributions to the organization and the city of St. Louis for more than half a century are beyond measure. As our fans drive to Enterprise Center for our games and see the Bobby Plager Memorial Highway signs, it will be a great reminder to all of us about his commitment to the Blues."
Missouri Representative Nick Schroer (R-St. Charles) originally introduced the bill to rename the section of highway in May of 2021.
Plager was an original member of the Blues, joining the team as a 21-year-old defenseman in 1967.
In St. Louis, Plager played 615 regular-season games and then had a long career as a coach, vice president, scout, director of player relations and team ambassador after his playing days were over.
He finally got his Stanley Cup parade when the Blues won it all in 2019.
Plager's No. 5 jersey hangs in the rafters at Enterprise Center alongside his brother Barclay's No. 8.