Rating:
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Champ Clark Bridge

Pike County, Missouri, and Pike County, Illinois
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Photos 

Overview

Photo taken by James Baughn

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Video 

Champ Clark Bridge Eastbound

Dashcam Video Eastbound from Illinois into Missouri.

Video posted by Tomas C

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Map 

Street View 

Description 

MODOT held a meeting a few weeks ago discussing the need to replace the bridge. It was stated that the bridge is curretly on of the oldest vehicle bridges still in use on the upper mississippi. MODOT also stated that they would like to replace this bridge in the next five years

View Uglybridges.com report

Facts 

Overview
Five-span through truss bridge over the Mississippi River on US 54 at Louisiana
Location
Louisiana, Pike County, Missouri, and Pike County, Illinois
Status
Open to two-lane traffic
Future prospects
MoDOT is currently accepting proposal for reuse of all or any part of the bridge. They are currently looking for funding to start on replaceing this bridge in the next five years.
History
Built 1927-28; rehabilitated 1981 and 2005
Builders
- Harrington, Howard & Ash of Kansas City, Kansas & New York, New York
- Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co. of Leavenworth, Kansas
- Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Co. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Design
Pennsylvania through truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 417.0 ft.
Total length: 2,287.2 ft. (0.4 mi.)
Deck width: 20.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 14.7 ft.
Recognition
Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
Also called
Louisiana Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+39.45758, -91.04583   (decimal degrees)
39°27'27" N, 91°02'45" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/668126/4369379 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Louisiana
Land survey
T. 54 N., R. 1 W., Sec. 18
Inventory numbers
MoDOT K-932R (Missouri Dept. of Transportation bridge number)
MONBI 5996 (Missouri bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
IL 075-9900 (Illinois bridge number)
BH 22317 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 08/2014)
Deck condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 23.0 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2013)
4,004

Categories 

Available for reuse (209)
Built 1928 (981)
Built during 1920s (8,329)
Doomed (1,017)
Harrington, Howard & Ash (20)
Have street view (18,773)
Illinois (3,655)
Louisiana, Missouri (7)
Mississippi River (196)
Missouri (5,324)
Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co. (87)
NR-eligible (3,918)
Navigable waterway (1,928)
Open (34,256)
 Owned by state (12,302)
Pennsylvania truss (378)
Pike County, Illinois (52)
Pike County, Missouri (49)
Skewed (4,564)
Span length 250-500 feet (1,023)
State line crossing (688)
Structurally deficient (17,853)
Through truss (12,095)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (1,547)
Truss (27,860)
US 54 (24)
Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Co. (105)

Update Log 

  • February 13, 2016: New photo from James Baughn
  • May 6, 2015: New video from Tomas C
  • January 12, 2014: New photos from Diane Martin
  • January 2, 2013: New photo from Steve Conro
  • January 5, 2012: Updated by Jeremy Ruble: Added category "Doomed"
  • November 16, 2011: New photo from Steve Conro
  • October 30, 2011: Updated by Jeremy Ruble: Updated future plans for bridge.
  • August 21, 2011: New photos from Ben Tate
  • May 13, 2008: New photo from Jeremy Ruble
  • June 6, 2005: Posted new photos

Sources 

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Comments 

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted February 14, 2016, by Lisa (lisalu_2005 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

First photo of the Champ Clark Bridge was taken after it collapsed on September 6th 1927. One man was killed, one was seriously injured and several narrowly escaped. The collapse of the bridge was due to faulty false work. Second photo of the bridge was taken five days before the bridge collapsed.

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted November 18, 2014, by James Wireman (jameslovesbridges_86 [at] ymail [dot] com)

Hey Wait just a minute, This Bridge is not doomed I mean Not Doomed. I think that this bridge Will last another 20-25 years. I think about replacing this Bridge now. I know it can't happen anytime soon.

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted July 30, 2012, by John S. (jms524 [at] cccb [dot] edu)

According to MODOT's 2013-2017 Statewide Transportation Improvment Program, they are indeed going to go about getting an Environmental Impact Statement and do a location study for a "potential" design/build project.

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted September 26, 2009, by Brent Freesmeyer (bcfreesmeyer [at] msn [dot] com)

I received an old box of scrapbook clippings and photos my grandmother had stored in her attic which contained an interesting ad for toll tickets and a post card sent to her in 1938 of the Champ Clark Bridge.

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted January 23, 2007, by Jeremy (Ruble)

This is an article out of a local book showing the Champ Clark bridge when it collasped during construction. I believe there was one person killed. This is becuase everybody else was leaving the construction site for the day. Not many people know about this.