Generally, drivers don’t like bridges to be so steeply pitched that it feels like a roller coaster while driving over it.
That’s not the case with the Oak Street Bridge in Carthage, Mo. The bridge, built in 1920 and later becoming a part of Route 66, also is affectionately known by locals as Tickle Tummy Hill and the “Whee!” Bridge. It’s so steep that your stomach bottoms out — and your car — if you drive over it too fast, thus giving multiple generations of Carthage residents a cheap thrill. We found this out rather abruptly, but harmlessly, the first time we drove over it.
The old bridge is feeling its age, and the city recently received $177,000 to upgrade it. But Carthage Mayor James Woestman and many residents want to ensure that the bridge retains its unique flavor, the Joplin Globe reports.
“It has a lot of attachments to the city and to Route 66,” Woestman said. “We are trying to see what we can do to stabilize it. If we replace it now, it’s possible they will keep the hump so it can still be the ‘Whee’ bridge.
“It is still safe to drive over. They haven’t lowered the load limit, which is a positive thing.”
The Carthage Press had a report on the bridge about two weeks ago, and it appears the City Council wants a say in its renovation.
“I think this needs to be taken to council,” said Councilmember Bill Johnson. “I’m neutral. I don’t like to see it change. You hate to give up something like that. It’s like the Boots and the (Route 66) drive-in. You want to keep it around.”
It’s nice to see that the city council has at least one member who recognizes that Route 66 and its traditional elements are an asset to the tourist appeal of Carthage. I hope Councilman Johnson is not just one small voice crying in the wilderness of the “Knock-It-Down-It’s-Old” desert.
When I was a kid in Joplin my mom would drive my brother and I over to Carthage to see the Missouri Pacific trains. We’d always drive over that bridge and feel its slight roller coaster effect. She called it the “hippy dippy.”
When i was a kid in joplin, we would go over to carthage to hang out and watch the gook village. one time i went over that bridge and threw up all over myself.