Historic Bridges of the U.S. | Old St. Charles Bridge

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Photos

HAER photo

This photo from the Historic American Engineering Record shows the bridge from the side, looking north [HAER photo taken August 1988 by James Roach]

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Insulator

Charles Robinson sent this photo showing one of the original insulators from the 34,500 volt power line that was strung along the top of the bridge.

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1996 aerial photo

This aerial photo from 1996 shows the bridge one year before it was demolished

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2002 aerial photo

Virtually no trace of the bridge remains in this 2002 aerial photo

Map

Vicinity map

Map links:

Timeline

Compiled by James Baughn

1890: Pontoon bridge built by John Enoch, but it was destroyed a few months later by ice on the river
May 14, 1896: St. Charles and St. Louis County Bridge Company incorporated
Dec. 23, 1899: Three-quarters of company stock transferred to the St. Louis, St. Charles, and Western Electric Railway Company
May 1, 1902: Contract executed with the Midland Bridge Company to construct the bridge, with the consulting firm of Waddell and Hedrick overseeing construction
Aug. 1, 1902: Construction started
Dec. 7, 1903: Piers completed
Nov. 15, 1903: Work on superstructure started
Apr. 23, 1904: First trolley crossed the bridge carrying dignitaries
Apr. 24, 1904: Regular trolley service inaugurated
May 22, 1904: Pedestrian and auto traffic allowed the cross
June 23, 1904: Last piece of wooden deck planking nailed into place
Sept. 26, 1916: Spark from a train passing underneath set the bridge on fire, destroying the deck from the main spans
1920: Bridge reopened after extensive repairs at a cost of $148,000
Jan. 16, 1932: Tolls removed from bridge, which had been incorporated into the state highway system as part of US 40
Jan. 17, 1932: Streetcar service discontinued across the bridge
June 26, 1935: Runaway train crashed into the supports over Main Street, closing the bridge for two months
Dec. 1937: Three contracts let for major bridge rehabilitation which took place 1938-1939
Aug. 16, 1958: Blanchette Bridge dedicated
June 11, 1959: US 40 officially rerouted to the Blanchette Bridge
1992: Bridge closed to traffic with the opening of the MO 370 Discovery Bridge
1997: Bridge demolished section by section

Facts

Overview: Lost four-span through truss bridge over the Missouri River at St. Charles
Status: Replaced by a new bridge
History: Completed 1904; closed to traffic in 1992; finally dismantled in 1997
Builder: - Midland Bridge Co. of Kansas City, Missouri
Design: From east to west (all through trusses are pin-connected):
Spans 1-5: Five 90-foot plate girder spans
Span 6: 148-foot Warren deck truss
Span 7: 14-panel, 300-foot Pennsylvania through truss
Span 8: 19-panel, 420-foot Pennsylvania through truss
Span 9: 18-panel, 420-foot Pennsylvania through truss
Span 10: 18-panel, 418-foot Pennsylvania through truss
Span 11: 97-foot plate girder
Spans 12-15: Four-span continuous deck girder, total length 94 feet
Span 16: 35-foot deck girder
Spans 17-20: Four-span continuous deck girder, total length 90 feet
Span 21: 24-foot stringer span
Span 22: 60-foot deck truss
Spans 23-24: Pair of 28-foot stringer spans
Spans 25-28: Four-span continuous deck girder, total length 103 feet
Dimensions: Length of largest span: 420.0 ft.
Total length: 2,873.0 ft.
Deck width: 20.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude: +38.78325, -90.47558 (decimal degrees)
38°46'60" N, 90°28'32" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Inventory numbers: MoDOT K-239R (Missouri Dept. of Transportation bridge number)
BH 22576 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Update Log

April 17, 2006: Posted additional photo from Charles Robinson

Sources

HAER MO-30 - Old St. Charles Bridge
Charles Robinson - crobinson8 [at] charter [dot] net

Comments

Old St. Charles Bridge

Posted March 15, 2008, by Mark Frazier (mfrazier [at] kc [dot] rr [dot] com)

Postcard image of the deck fire in 1916.

Old St. Charles Bridge

Posted August 7, 2007, by Dylan

There's absolutely nothing left of this bridge on the St. Charles side that would indicate that it ever existed. But on the other side of the river, the old approach hill to the bridge is still there (at the end of St. Charles Rock Road), along with the old roadway pavement heading up the hill. Barricades prevent driving up there, but it can certainly be walked.

Old St. Charles Bridge

Posted February 11, 2007, by Steve McVicker (Donner337 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Rest in peace my old friend. I too wish i had the gas money i spent traveling you. Now just like my high School sweethearts of the early eighties, gone are you, but with pleasant memories. You were narrow scary and worn in 82 when i used you the most, your rebar was showing through the concrete then. I used you until 1991 when i left St.louis, no longer do you stand in honor of the brave men of steel that shaped your being.

Old St. Charles Bridge

Posted September 14, 2006, by Karen (nascarbitch37 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

That was a skinny scary bridge to drive on especially the curve going onto the bridge from the St Charles side and semis were even scarier when you met one in the middle of the bridge Boy those were the days!!!!!!!

Old St. Charles Bridge

Posted March 10, 2006, by Tracey (bandit284 [at] juno [dot] com)

I will always remember riding my bike across the bridge and looking down at the river as kids. I really miss this bridge. I bring my little ones down where is used to stand, and it really seems empty.

Bye Bye to the Old St. Charles Bridge...

Posted October 15, 2005, by TTMM (MEDICINEMAN [at] HOTMAIL [dot] COM)

Dear Old St. Charles Bridge:

Several times I hopped the fence and walked across you in the mid 1990's... in that twilight zone, so to speak... after your closure, before you were torn down....

Pretty trippy experiences... hmmm... maybe that's why someone had enscribed in white paint upon your then quiet roadway: "The Trippin' Bridge!"

Farewell... friend! :(