Photos
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Oblique view from southwest |
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View from riverfront |
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Oblique view from northwest |
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West approach |
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Deck view |
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Lewis and Clark statue |
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Center span |
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Center pier |
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Below one arch |
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Directly underneath |
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Westbound train |
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Eyebars |
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Interface between arch and pier |
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Arcade arches |
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Removed arch |
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Eads and Gateway arches |
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Postcard: Deck view |
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Postcard: Passing steamboat |
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Postcard: Skyline |
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Rail deck with no rails These three black-and-white photos were taken May 1983 by Jet Lowe for the Historic American Engineering Record and show the bridge before its change of ownership and rehabilitation |
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Tollbooth |
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East approach for railroad tracks |
Timeline
Compiled by James Baughn
- 1839
- Charles Ellet proposes building a suspension bridge across the Mississippi, but the project is rejected by the city as too expensive
- 1855
- Josiah Dent of St. Louis receives permission to build a suspension railroad bridge, but cannot raise enough money
- 1856
- John A. Roebling proposes a suspension bridge, but this venture is also unsuccessful
- 1866
- Congress issues charter authorizing the St. Louis and Illinois Bridge Co. to build a bridge in downtown St. Louis, but with several restrictions intended to cripple the project
- 1867
- Company selects James Eads as engineer-in-chief
- Feb. 25, 1868
- Cornerstone laid on top of bedrock for the west abutment
- Mar. 5, 1868
- The company buys out the rival Illinois and St. Louis Bridge Co., which unsuccessfully tried to sabotage the project
- Feb. 28, 1870
- East channel pier caisson reaches bedrock
- Apr. 1, 1870
- West pier reaches bedrock
- Mar. 8, 1871
- Tornado causes one death and $50,000 in damage
- Apr. 30, 1871
- East abutment caisson completed
- Feb. 1870
- Keystone Bridge Co. of Pittsburgh contracted to erect the steel arches
- May 24, 1874
- Upper roadway deck opened to pedestrians
- June 9, 1874
- First train crosses the rail deck
- July 4, 1874
- Bridge officially dedicated with a 15-mile long parade, inaugural train ride, speeches, and fireworks display
- Apr. 14, 1875
- Bridge company files for receivership because of delays in securing paying passenger train service
- Dec. 20, 1878
- Bridge sold at auction for $2.0 million
- 1881
- Railroad magnate Jay Gould acquires the bridge and eventually the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis gains control
- 1974
- Last Amtrak train crosses the bridge and the rails are later removed
- Oct. 21, 1974
- Designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
- Aug. 31, 1989
- St. Louis acquires the bridge in a trade with the Terminal Railroad Association for the MacArthur Bridge
- 1993
- MetroLink light rail service across the lower deck of the bridge begins operation
- July 4, 2003
- Upper deck is officially opened to vehicular and pedestrian traffic
Facts
- Overview
- Three-span steel arch bridge over the Mississippi River in downtown St. Louis
- Status
- Top deck open to four lanes of traffic with a pedestrian lane, bottom deck open to two tracks of MetroLink light rail service
- History
- Built 1869-1874 under the direction of engineer James Buchanan Eads
- Design
- Steel arch
- Dimensions
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Length of largest span: 533.0 ft.
Total length: 4,024.9 ft.
Deck width: 45.9 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +38.62882, -90.17860 (decimal degrees)
38°37'44" N, 90°10'43" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/745603/4279364 (zone/easting/northing)
- USGS topographic map
- Granite City
- Inventory numbers
- NRHP 66000946 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
MONBI 12992 (Missouri bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
BH 22625 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection (as of 07/2006)
- Deck condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 80.4 (out of 100) - Average daily traffic (as of 2005)
- 2,000
Sources
- HAER MO-12 - Eads Bridge
- Wikipedia
Comments
I lived for 8 years in St. Louis. My brothers still live in the county. I have crossed the bridge many times with little thought to its creation and saga of one James Eads.
If you are a St. Louisian and have not read the life story of James Eads, you will not truely understand the trauma and toil he suffered to get this bridge built. A book of his life, "Road to the Sea" and the Mississippi River, by Florence Dorsey, was mesmerizing.
Modern St. Louis is enriched by his efforts. This bridge is a testament to his perserverance. It is still one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. That it has weathered tremors, earthquakes and the elements is testament to his great labor and design.
I lived in Illinois and worked for wohl shoe co on washington ave and use to drive that bridge everyday was a dime toll as I recall. I loved that bridge and Mc A that came out at the dog food co checker board square i think. anyway just a note we all love the bridge
I was born and raised in St. Louis. My father, who is a history buff, told me all about the bridge many times throughout my childhood and its mystique stuck with me. After all these years I still never tire of seeing it. I took the image below at sunrise in August of 2005. Coincidentally, my childhood neighborhood in Crestwood was next to the old Eads mansion which was demolished when I-44 was constructed.
That this wonderful structure is in use again after many years of neglect is one of the great success stories in historic bridge renovation. The lower train deck has been refurbished for use by the Metrolink light rail service and the upper road deck carries vehicular traffic.
Fans of the bridge should be aware of the book "The Eads Bridge". Originally published in 1979, it was out of print for many years until 1999 when a 2nd edition was published by the Missouri Historical Society Press. There is a remarkable, extensive black and white photographic essay and a companion history about the construction of the bridge. It's a wonderful publication.
I really miss the blue lights that used to shine acrossed the bridge. I wish someone could start a fund raiser to light it up again. It is a beautiful piece of St. Louis History and deserves the same lighting and respect as the Old Courthouse, Cathedral and the arch.
Light the bridge
My grandfather helped construct this bridge. He was one of the civil engineers that worked on it. I am proud of his work!
I have been a fan of old and/or unusual bridges for most of my 74 years. I appreciate the fine pictures and the information found at this website. Mr.Eads went on to contribute many engineering innovations on the Mississippi River.
I am reading a book " Rising Tides" which describes the building of this bridge and all the people involved.
I thank you for having so much good information on this site about this and other brdges