Devils Elbow Truss Bridge
Facts
- Overview
- Two-span through truss bridge over Big Piney River at Devils Elbow on Teardrop Road (Old US 66)
- Location
- Pulaski County, Missouri
- Status
- Open to traffic
- History
- Built 1923; made obsolete by new US 66 bridge in 1942; rehabilitated 2013-14
- Builder
- - Riley-Bailey Construction Co. of St. Louis, Missouri (Contractor)
- Design
- From west to east:
One riveted Warren pony truss
Two riveted, 8-panel Parker through trusses
Four concrete deck girder spans with a curved alignment - Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 161.0 ft.
Total length: 588.8 ft.
Deck width: 19.4 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 14.0 ft.
- Recognition
- Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
- Also called
- Elbow Bridge
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +37.84862, -92.06241 (decimal degrees)
37°50'55" N, 92°03'45" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/582487/4189433 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Devils Elbow
- Land survey
- T. 36 N., R. 10 W., Sec. 18
- Average daily traffic (as of 2018)
- 100
- Inventory numbers
- MONBI 18976 (Missouri bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
Co Bridge No. 2060015
formerly F-556
BH 22368 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection report (as of January 2018)
- Overall condition: Fair
Superstructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 78.7 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- December 7, 2019: New photos from Mike Daffron
- November 23, 2019: New photo from David Shedlock
- May 25, 2019: New photos from Joe Sonderman
- July 7, 2018: New photos from David Huffman
- June 20, 2016: New video from Mark Shannon
- May 17, 2016: New photos from Steve Conro
- May 22, 2014: Updated by James Baughn: Bridge has been reopened
- February 27, 2014: New photos from Jack Schmidt
- January 30, 2012: New photo from Larry Dooley
- August 19, 2011: New photos from Ben Tate
- April 30, 2011: New photos from James McCray
- April 16, 2010: New photo from Eric Kinkhorst
- December 13, 2008: New photos from Gene McCluney
- January 25, 2005: Posted new photos
Sources
- Gene McCluney - gmacfilm [at] live [dot] com
- Missouri Historic Bridge Inventory
- Eric Kinkhorst - erick [dot] bud [at] gmail [dot] com
- James McCray - jamesinslocomb [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Ben Tate - benji5221 [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Larry Dooley
- Jack Schmidt - jjturtle [at] earthlink [dot] net
- James Baughn - webmaster [at] bridgehunter [dot] com
- Steve Conro - sconro [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Mark Shannon
- David Huffman
- Joe Sonderman
- David Shedlock
- Mike Daffron - daffmikron [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
I think a good idea for this bridge is to close the bridge to vehicles, but leave it open for pedestrians as a park. Have the newer parallel 66 bridges (I-44 or Rt 66 4 lane bypass) as vehicle bridges and the D.E.B. as a pedestrian park.
I was out here the other day and noticed that there is some damage to the east portal strut and portal bracing. It looks like too big a vehicle tried to go through and bent the portal bracing up and the portal strut is half disconnected from the end post. It's rather concerning and is NOT pretty. I'll go back soon and grab photos and when I can. It's a shame especially after the beautiful restoration.
Restored and decorated for Christmas:
http://www.waynesvilledailyguide.com/article/20141223/NEWS/1...
From the Springfield Republican newspaper, 1924.
GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY AT THE HISTORIC ROUTE 66 BRIDGE OVER BIG PINEY RIVER IN DEVIL’S ELBOW
After many years of planning and searching for funds, the Pulaski County Commission has entered into a contract with a contracting firm to renovate this 90 year old structure for the future use by of area residents and numerous Route 66 visitors from various foreign countries.
Participating funding agencies are Federal Highway Administration, Missouri Department of Transportation, National Park Service, Department of Housing and Urban Development, United States Department of Agriculture and Pulaski County Commission.
On Thursday, October 24 at 11:30 AM, the Pulaski County Commission will conduct an official groundbreaking ceremony to signal the start of construction activity which is expected to take about 10 months to complete.
You are invited to attend this historic event and meet some of the participants that have worked together to renovate the only curved bridge still in use by vehicles traveling on Historic Route 66.
Gary J. Bockman, PE, PLS
2826 S. Ingram Mill Rd.
Springfield, MO 65804
Phone: (417) 886-7171
Fax: (417) 886-7591
Cell: (417) 860-9263
gbockman@greatriv.com
Rehab is announced & Bridgehunter.com gets a nod
http://route66news.com/2012/07/02/rehab-of-devils-elbow-brid...
By Matthew Kent
Waynesville Daily Guide
Fri Aug 21, 2009, 02:41 PM CDT
WAYNESVILLE — Pulaski County Commissioners learned Thursday that the county won't be receiving grant funding for the Devils Elbow Bridge.
Jack Kearbey, area specialist with the USDA Rural Development, informed the commission it didn't make the cut. Grant funding would have paid for engineering fees toward the bridge, according to Eastern District Commissioner Bill Farnham. Farnham said the next period for re-applying for the grant would be in October and said it was “disheartening” that no grant funding was received.
The bridge, which has been listed in poor condition by the Missouri Department of Transportation for at least two consecutive years, has been looked at by the County Commission, but a cost of $1.6 million has been cited to correct the deficiencies at the aging bridge. It was built in 1923 and was declared obsolete in 1942 when a new one was built.
In April, the Commission approved a contract with Springfield-based Great River Engineering for pre-engineering work on the bridge for $99,938. That was 75 percent covered through a grant with the USDA, while the other 25 percent was covered by the Off-System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation (BRO) program, which provides funding for counties through MoDOT for the replacement and rehabilitation of deficient bridges.
It is still open. I drive across it once a week or more and have floated under it twice this past week.
It should be still open. It is a tourist attraction on old Route 66. Why? Have you heard differently?
Does anybody know if this bridge is still open?
This bridge is located in an extremely beautiful location yet poor maintenance has let it deteriorate to a point where I don't know if they will end up having to tear this down. I wouldn't be surprised if this one ends up collapsing someday as a truck drives across. You really start to wonder about the the structural integrity if you go underneath and look around. See http://www.rollanet.org/~conorw/cwome/article51&52combined.h... for more information on the condition of this bridge.
This Photograph was taken in 1931
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/mo/pulaski/piney-truss/
Got to visit this beaut for a few minutes before my boy graduated from basics at Fort Leonard Wood. Hope to be able to go back sometime. Also, if you visit this bridge, be sure to check out the Uranus Fudge Factory a few miles west on 66. The place was a real hoot! My daughter asked them how long they are open. She was told that Uranus is always open....Also Santa's at Uranus on December 7!!!!