Rating:
6 votes

Old Champ Clark Bridge

Pike County, Missouri, and Pike County, Illinois

Photos 

Overview

Photo taken by James Baughn

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BH Photo #106800

Map 

Street View 

Videos 

Champ Clark Bridge Eastbound

Dashcam Video Eastbound from Illinois into Missouri.

Video posted by Tomas C

Play video on YouTube

Description 

Named for a popular Missouri politician: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_Clark

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
Bridge has been completely removed.
Future prospects
Ribbon cutting for the new bridge is Saturday, August 3, 2019.
History
Bridge demolished 2019
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.
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
Average daily traffic (as of 2018)
2,838
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 report (as of June 2018)
Overall condition: Poor
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 21 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com

Categories 

Built 1928 (1,174)
Built during 1920s (9,922)
Doomed (1,071)
Formerly NR-eligible (444)
Harrington, Howard & Ash (22)
Have street view (26,927)
Illinois (4,647)
Lost (24,711)
Lost 2019 (132)
Lost during 2010s (3,279)
Louisiana, Missouri (9)
Mississippi River (219)
Missouri (6,299)
Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co. (109)
 Navigable waterway (2,152)
Owned by state (15,981)
Pennsylvania truss (489)
Pike County, Illinois (104)
Pike County, Missouri (89)
Replaced by new bridge (16,566)
Skewed (4,906)
Span length 250-500 feet (1,196)
State line crossing (847)
Through truss (15,054)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (1,883)
Truss (32,768)
US 54 (27)
Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Co. (154)

Update Log 

  • October 22, 2019: New photos from Jeremy Ruble
  • October 19, 2019: New photos from Jeremy Ruble
  • October 18, 2019: New photo from Jeremy Ruble
  • August 5, 2019: Updated by Jeremy Ruble: Updated status
  • August 2, 2019: Updated by Jeremy Ruble: Closing August 3rd
  • June 7, 2019: New photo from Joe Sonderman
  • May 19, 2019: New photos from Joe Sonderman
  • September 29, 2018: New photos from Chris Perry
  • June 29, 2017: New video from Mark Shannon
  • August 13, 2016: New photos from David Huffman
  • August 8, 2016: Updated by Jeremy Ruble: Update future of bridge and description
  • 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

Related Bridges 

Sources 

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Comments 

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted November 18, 2019, by Lyon_Wonder (lyon_wonder [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Final 2 spans were demolished today.

https://www.stltoday.com/news/multimedia/pictures/final-sect...

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted November 15, 2019, by Lyon_Wonder (lyon_wonder [at] yahoo [dot] com)

The span over the railroad tracks on the Missouri side has been removed and the final 2 spans on the Illinois side will be demolished on November 18.

http://www.hannibal.net/Second-implosion-planned-for-Champ-C...

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted October 23, 2019, by Jeremy Ruble (saukee0 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Only two were imploded, not three

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted October 21, 2019, by Todd Walker (mrwalk50 [at] gmail [dot] com)

Three spans imploded Friday Oct 18, 2019

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted October 18, 2019, by Nathan Holth (webmaster [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

One less reason to visit Missouri

https://wgem.com/2019/10/18/portion-of-the-old-champ-clark-b...

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted October 18, 2019, by Nathan Holth (webmaster [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

MoDOT Will Be Blowing This Beautiful Historic Bridge To Bits Within A Couple Hours!

http://www.champclarkbridge.com/index.php/110-old-champ-clar...

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted October 11, 2019, by Lyon_Wonder (lyon_wonder [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Demolition will begin on October 18th.

https://khmoradio.com/date-set-for-demolition-of-old-champ-c...

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted October 8, 2019, by Barry (bllauver33 [at] gmail [dot] com )

In 1912 Champ Clark was on his way to becoming the Democratic nominee for president at the Convention being held in Baltimore Maryland. The Eastern newspapers went against him, specifically the Baltimore Sun. The nominee was eventually Woodrow Wilson. And the rest, as they say, is history. I'm glad he had a bridge named for him, he sounds as if he was a very colorful character. who

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted October 5, 2019, by Lyon_Wonder (lyon_wonder [at] yahoo [dot] com)

They're holding a raffle and the winner gets to press the button that implodes the old bridge.

https://wgem.com/2019/10/04/organizations-giving-away-chance...

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted September 27, 2019, by Lyon_Wonder (lyon_wonder [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Preparations for demolition have already begun.

https://www.whig.com/20190927/demolition-begins-on-old-champ...

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted September 11, 2019, by Lyon_Wonder (lyon_wonder [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Old Champ Clark bridge finally closed on August 30 and the deck is already in the process of being removed for demolition in October.

https://www.hannibal.net/news/20190911/preparations-underway...

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted August 23, 2019, by Lyon_Wonder (lyon_wonder [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Update: final closure of Old Champ Clark Bridge has been delayed until sometime next week.

https://www.hannibal.net/news/20190823/old-champ-clark-bridg...

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted August 21, 2019, by Lyon_Wonder (lyon_wonder [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Old Champ Clark bridge to finally close for all traffic on August 22 and deck removal to start soon thereafter.

https://khqa.com/news/local/old-champ-clark-bridge-to-perman...

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted May 27, 2019, by James Baughn (webmaster [at] bridgehunter [dot] com)

The Champ Clark Bridge is closed yet again because of flooding on the Illinois side, and the river stage forecast would suggest this could continue for a couple weeks:

https://wgem.com/2019/05/27/champ-clark-bridge-closed-due-to...

Question for anybody in the area: Is it possible to walk out on to the bridge during the closure, or is it locked down because of the active construction work for the replacement bridge?

Champ Clark Bridge
Posted July 1, 2017, by David Huffman (davhuffm [at] mindspring [dot] com)

Scheduled to be replaced by 2019 at a cost of $68.2 million.

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.