A few months ago, the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge that connects old Route 66 from Madison, Ill., to north St. Louis closed its parking lot on the Missouri side because of vandalism and burglaries.
Trailnet, the nonprofit group that runs the bridge as a walking and bicycling trail, has announced that the Missouri-side parking lot will reopen on April 1 through Nov. 1, with monitored attendant parking from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays during the aforementioned peak season.
Fees will be $3 for regular vehicles and $10 for passenger vehicles that carry 15 or more.
Trust me: The three bucks is worth it to walk across that bridge, and Big River, too.
Trailnet also points out that there is free parking on the Illinois side of the bridge. Because it’s in a sparsely populated area, that side of the Chain of Rocks sees less crime, too.