Tag: Bridges

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Twentieth Century – final third

ellenparkerwrites

The Interstate Highway System is intended to tie the major cities of the United States together. In St. Louis this also necessitates crossing the Mississippi River to connect the city with Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville, and the rest of the Eastern portion of the country.

They built one bridge. Three interstates — I 70, I 55, and I 64 a.k.a. US 40 — converge in downtown St. Louis and skim across this steel deck girder bridge together.

It bears the official name of Bernard F. Dickman Bridge. Don’t ask for directions using that name. Natives, media traffic reporters, and signage will direct you to the Poplar Street Bridge. Opened in 1967 and located a short distance downstream from the landmark Arch, it carries a constant stream of cars, trucks, and motorcycles to and from the city.

Using the bridge for the first time? Drive across it infrequently?

My tip: Be alert to which of the interstate routes you want to follow. Some of the exits are in front of you before you realize you’re over land, not river.

Poplar Street Bridge viewed from upstream. Low winter water.
Poplar Street Bridge viewed from upstream. Low winter water.
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Twentieth Mid-Century

ellenparkerwrites

A thriving city craves infrastructure. With St. Louis’ location on one of American’s great river include bridges.

While the highway deck of the Eads carried it’s portion and the MacArthur downstream made a large contribution the city begged for more.

The City of East St. Louis, Illinois responded by constructing a toll bridge. It opened to traffic in 1951 with the name Veteran’s Memorial Bridge. The design is listed as cantilever truss and it adds a graceful note of interest to the downtown riverfront.

The toll is gone now and it received a good renovation in the late 1980’s. Even the name has changed – to Martin Luther King Bridge. Yet it continues to carry a daily ration of commuters.

1950's Connection
1950’s Connection
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Twentieth Century – Early Decades

ellenparkerwrites

We continue our look at the bridges of downtown St. Louis and slip into the twentieth century today. Railroads increase in size and number. Horses and wagons give way to motorized automobiles and trucks. Too much traffic for the Eads Bridge to handle without assistance.

Stone piers and steel trusses on a larger than life scale came to dominate the river a short distance downstream of the Eads. First impression is a bridge designed for heavy work. It’s beauty is found in symmetry and projection of power instead of decoration.

Construction began in 1909 of this two deck structure. The St. Louis Municipal Bridge, a.k.a. Free Bridge opened the upper deck to highway traffic in 1917. The lower, railroad deck opened in 1928.

Today the bridge bears the name of The MacArthur Bridge. The rail deck is in daily use. Freight trains cross the river here on a regular basis and Amtrak uses it when the Mississippi is at flood stage. The highway deck has not been used since 1981 and a portion of the deck has been removed. With curved and narrow approaches it’s doubtful that regular highway traffic will resume but occasionally you read of proposals to restore the upper deck for hiking and biking.

Bridge without frills.
Bridge without frills.
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Nineteenth Century Pioneer

ellenparkerwrites

A visit to downtown St. Louis is not complete without a look at the Mississippi River and the bridges that span it. If you pick the right spot on the grand stairs below the Gateway Arch you can see four complete and one under construction.

Let’s begin near the beginning. When ferry service connected Illinois and Missouri. The riverboats reigned supreme and considered the very idea of a bridge a hazard to navigation.

But here come the railroads. A transportation boom after the Civil War. The writing was in the water. To maintain status as an important American city St. Louis needed a bridge connection with Illinois and the East.

James Buchanan Eads designed this pioneering structure. It was the first bridge to use large amounts of that new building material — steel. Innovations in caissons for pier construction and the cantilever method of erecting the three steel arches were each a major fete in and of themselves.

With great celebration the bridge opened July 1874. Rail traffic used the lower deck and a roadway occupied the upper.

Today the oldest in use bridge across the Mississippi is again carrying traffic on both decks. Since 1993 the light rail system carries commuters and visitors on the lower deck. After renovations completed in 2003 the upper deck again hosts four lanes of traffic and sidewalks for pedestrians.

West approach during spring 2011 flood
West approach during spring 2011 flood

Take a few minutes on your riverfront visit to walk out and enjoy the view.

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Unknown origin

ellenparkerwrites

Dictionary editors know words. It’s their profession.

So I read the phrase “unknown origin” twice when I looked up the word to go with today’s entry. After all, I’ve heard and used the word all of my life.

They come in all sizes: from skinny metal tubes measuring mere inches in diameter through larger and larger cylinders – commonly ribbed for strength.  Materials vary also – metal and concrete are the most common but I’ve no doubt that one of these days PVC or one of the other sturdy plastics will be used.

Their purpose is simple. They allow water to pass under a road, railroad, hiking trail or other object.

As children we were cautioned to be careful around them. I think the parents were concerned we’d get stuck. These are the same parents that discussed using the largest ones as tornado (storm) shelters. We called the large ones, usually cement, cattle passes. They were of the size and purpose to allow cattle to cross under the road from one pasture to another. Much to the safety of both cattle and motorist.

Culvert. It has a good sound. But according to people who study that sort of thing — the origins of the word are lost in the echoes of history.

Culvert, large size
Culvert, large size

This is “cattle pass” size that carries a creek. Visit during low water.