Chain of Rocks Bridge

The Old Chain of Rocks bridge spans the Mississippi River between the northern edge of St Louis, MO and Chouteau Island, a part of Madison, Illinois. The bridge was crossed by travelers of Route 66 for more than three decades. Today it is open to bicyclists and pedestrians looking to experience Route 66 of the past, or simply looking for a scenic place to get outside and explore. The bridge is unique in that it has a 30-degree turn midway across its mile-long span. Original construction plans were for a straight bridge, but riverboat men protested those plans due to the navigational difficulties this plan posed. A 17-mile shoal, or series of rocky rapids (the Chain of Rocks) runs through the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis and makes this stretch of river difficult to navigate. Those rocks are covered by a low-water dam, built in the 1960s, and are not currently visible. A series of rapids is visible, however, as are two water intake towers for the Chain of Rocks pumping station. A turn in the bridge was necessary to assist riverboat men in navigating these towers and to allow bridge piers to be placed in bedrock that would sufficiently support their weight. The New Chain of Rocks Bridge across Interstate 270 opened in 1967 and the old bridge closed to vehicular traffic in 1968.