Chain of Rocks Bridge
Photos
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
Facts
- Overview
- Lost through truss bridge over the Cuivre River at Chain of Rocks
- Status
- No longer exists
- History
- Built 1893 by the St. Louis Bridge & Iron Co.
- Design
- Pin-connected, 10-panel Pratt through truss
- Dimensions
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Length of largest span: 190.0 ft.
Total length: 303.2 ft.
Deck width: 13.8 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 11.3 ft.
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +38.91248, -90.80299 (decimal degrees)
38°54'45" N, 90°48'11" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/690486/4309358 (zone/easting/northing)
- Land survey
- T. 48 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 16
- USGS topographic map
- Maryknoll
- Inventory numbers
- MO 057-319000.3 (Missouri off-system bridge number)
BH 21892 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection (as of 11/1990)
- Deck condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Serious (3 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 0.0 (out of 100) - Average daily traffic (as of 1990)
- 100
Update Log
- May 16, 2008: Bridge is lost according to satellite images
- May 12, 2008: New photos from Historic American Engineering Record
Comments
I grew up on a farm along hwy Y to the south of the bridge. I do not have many memories that do not include setting traps, setting trot lines or hunting arrowheads along the cuivre in this area. These excursions normaly ended with a chain burger at the chain of rocks tavern. then later in life, when dating my wife, I found out the she was scared to death to cross the old bridge. so I made it a point to take her across every time I had a chance. I always told her, that old bridge will be here longer than we will.
I used to fish under this bridge almost everyday during the summer in the late 70's and 80's. I have seen equipment and trucks go across this bridge that were 2 to 3 times the posted load was and that old bridge would just keep taking it.
Open to Pedestrians and bicycles maintained by Trailnet information from Wikipedia.
Used to cross this bridge on my bicycle in the 70s to get to the Chain of Rocks tavern, where a 13 year old could get a cold Bud.
The oak deck was replaced in the mid-late 70s. My friend's dad, who lived in the St. Charles County side and farmed on the Lincoln County side, would park his truck on the south end, then cross the bridge on foot using the iron girders as his path, then climb into his other truck on the north side. Being a farmer, he'd do this before sunrise.