Chain of Rocks Bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Chain of Rocks Bridge is a 5,350 feet long bridge spanning the Mississippi River on the north edge of St. Louis, Missouri. It was the most famous crossing of Route 66 over the river. Its most famous feature is a 22-degree bend occurring at the middle of the crossing, necessary for navigation on the river. The name comes from a "chain" of rocks crossing the Mississippi just below the bridge.
History
It was built in 1929 as a toll bridge (privately — at a cost of US$2.5 million) and later turned over to the city of Madison, Illinois, the current owner of the bridge. In the late 1930s, Bypass US 66 was designated over this bridge and around the northern and western parts of St. Louis to avoid the downtown city (City US 66 continued to cross the Mississippi River over the MacArthur Bridge). Eventually, the toll was removed from the bridge due to a law prohibiting the collecting of tolls on US Highways. In 1967, a new set of bridges, to the north, carrying I-270 was built and in 1970 the Chain of Rocks Bridge was closed. For nearly three decades, the fate of the bridge was unknown, with the high probability of its being destroyed. However, the cost of demolition was too high for the city and the bridge remained. In 1981, it was used in the shooting of the movie Escape from New York.
The Present
On April 4, 1991 a group of four men (Marlin Gray, Antonio Richardson, Reginald Clemons and Daniel Winfrey) sexually assaulted and then murdered two sisters on this bridge.
In 1998, the bridge was leased to a local trails group for a pedestrian bridge across the river and occasional motor tours for various Route 66 groups.
From the Illinois side of the bridge, signs marked "HISTORIC ROUTE 66 SPUR" take travellers to the Illinois side of the bridge and a "HISTORIC ROUTE 66" sign marks the Missouri side of the bridge. The Gateway Arch is visible downriver; and, immediately below the bridge, the castle-like water intakes for the St. Louis Waterworks are visible. There is a possiblity of the bridge being placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
