Boonville Bridge

Please correct

Overview

Lost through truss bridge over the Missouri River on US 40, MO 5, and MO 87 at Boonville

Please add

Categories

MO 5 and MO 87

Please integrate the photos of the Boonville Bridge that in previous comments.

Thank you,

David B. Haun

Walkway at South Portal Photo

Partway across walkway next to truss spans to county line Photo

Walkway at Howard County Line Photo

Down beside Boonville Bridge on Main Street Photo

Prior to Boonslick Bridge construction start.

I have posted Boonville Bridge demolition photos which my family has. Boonslick Bridge replace this bridge.

I have both a postcard and a photograph of the Boonville Bridge, the photo was taken June 13, 1931 and the postcard purchased at the same time. I can see the building to the right of the approach on the postcard in the modern pics posted here. The smokestack in the photo is apparently from the factory visable in the current pics as well.

I am looking for info on historic Boonville pertaining to this bridge, such as what auto service station would have been located in walking distance of the photograph, the nearby Boonville National Bank, and a store that would have sold peanuts / peanut oil near this location. Anyone with info please contact me.

Needs Categories MO 5 and MO 87 and needs recently posted pictures which are from 1995 integrated into the site. Boonslick bridge needs to be added to the site.

Addition Photo 10 Missing South truss span

Addition Photo 11 One of the end views of South Truss Span

Addition Photo 12 Close up Side view of a truss Span

Addition Photo 13 better Close up side view of a truss Span

All photo shot in 1995

Addition Photo 5 implosion South truss span

Addition Photo 6 missing North Truss span

Addition Photo 7 old approach missing and south portal visible

Addition Photo 8 close up old south portal from new bridge

Addition Photo 9 south approaches connecting bridges to Boonville

Photo this goes with were uploaded on March 23 2008.

Addition Photo 1 side view

Addition Photo 2 Truss arch

Addition Photo 3 North Portal at angle to new road

Addition Photo 4 South Portal approach missing traffic on Boonslick Bridge

These Pictures date from 1995 look hard to find old bridge in some cases.

I rode a motorcycle over that bridge many times, always made me nervous.

I was fortunate enough to work on the navigation lights under the deck of this bridge for MDOT (MHTD back then). What I remember most about this bridge is the amount of glass and mirror fragments that lined the catwalk below the roadway. Many trucks lost their side mirrors to the trusses of this narrow bridge including a dump truck whose mirror struck a beam just above where I was working. The noise of the impact and shattering glass while suspended above the river nearly scared me to death.

The width of the deck was so narrow that local authorities had to block oncoming traffic each time a truck with a wide load needed to cross.

Why do modern architects have to build such PLAIN, BASIC, and BORING bridges!!!??? In my opinion, all bridges that are replaced ought to be either suspension, cantilever, or cable-stayed!!!! Wake up, bridgebuilders!!! Concrete is BORING!!!! BE MORE CREATIVE!!!

I'll always recall fondly from my college years at MU how scary it was to cross the old US 40 bridge in Boonville (prior to its replacement in the mid-1990's). The bridge was extremely narrow, and the metal mesh surface made it seem like one was driving on ice (even at very low speeds) because of the sensation of the car slipping around in its lane. It's hard to describe this if you've never driven on such a bridge surface (I've only encountered 2 or 3 of them in my life.) Too bad they had to tear down the old bridge. Those old Missouri river bridges from the 20's and 30's are quickly disappearing, and it's very boring to drive over the modern river bridges of today. I often wonder why every one of these bridges must be torn down. Why cannot some of them remain as historical structures open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic, similar to the Chain of Rocks bridge in St. Louis? Oh well.