The historic McKinley Bridge, which connected St. Louis with Venice, Ill., for decades until its deteriorating condition forced its closure in 2001, is slated to reopen in September 2007, according to an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Built in 1910 for railroad use and later was opened for automobile traffic, the McKinley was an alignment of Route 66 for a time.
It was supposed to be reopened this year. But the bridge was in even worse shape than originally thought, so repairs are taking much longer.
When the span is suitable for traffic again, only the original three spans will remain as they were built in 1910. Crews were installing fasteners for the steel framework this week and have cleaned and repainted part of the main spans.
“This is all brand new,” said Russell Arentsen, senior resident engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation as he walked the 3,100-foot approach on the Missouri side.
So far, crews with Halverson Construction of Springfield, Ill., have poured 4,479 cubic yards of concrete and 417 tons of reinforcement bars, Arentsen said. The total project will involve installing 4,776 tons of structural steel.
Later this summer, crews should finish rebuilding the Missouri approach to the span, which connects it with North Ninth Street. They plan to demolish the eastern approach on the Illinois side in September and then rebuild it.
The toll booths aren’t returning. Nor will traffic on the outer lanes.
When the bridge reopens, its center lanes will carry two lanes of traffic, one heading east, the other west. The cantilevered lanes will carry bicycles and inspection vehicles only.
Here’s a good Web site that has more specifics about the bridge and its history.