Traffic is heavy on the bridge since the bridge has become toll free. A recent photo, above, shows heavy traffic on old Chain of Rocks bridge when it was toll-free but before the new Chain of Rocks bridge opened.
Huge girder for new Chain of Rocks bridge is lifted into place as work on the central span gets underway. There will be 32 of the girders manufactured by the Mississippi Valley Structural Steel Company, each 243 feet long, 10 feet high and weighing 162 tons. The bridge will carry Interstate Highway 270 across the Mississippi River near the old Chain of Rocks bridge.
The new toll-free chain of rocks bridge (foreground) will cut deeply into revenues realized by Madison, Ill., from the present span (background), which is only 1800 feet upstream.
This photo, above, was taken Tuesday, showing the traffic situation on the old Chain of Rocks bridge now that the new Chain of Rocks bridge has opened.
Dirt and junk is piled at the Missouri entrance to the old Chain of Rocks Bridge. The City of Madison closed the 56-year-old span after the Interstate 270 toll-free bridge opened in 1969.
Ribbon cutters at ceremonies marking opening of new Chain of Rocks Bridge Friday. From left, are James A. Kearns Jr. of the Missouri State Highway Commission, Aloys P. Kaufmann, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis, and Robert E. Kronst, district engineer of Illinois Division of Highways.
