This historic but deteriorating Devil’s Elbow Bridge that carries an older alignment of Route 66 into Devil’s Elbow, Mo., got good news recently. The bridge will receive a grant to help stabilize the structure until more funds can be found to fully repair it.
According to the Pulaski County Daily:
The historic Devil’s Elbow bridge on the original corridor of Route 66 has deteriorated so far that it’s now had the weight limit reduced to 12 tons, which is creating problems for Waynesville school buses since a fully loaded bus is over that limit. Farnham had been working for several years to obtain grants to repair the bridge so it won’t have to be closed or torn down, and he credited Kelly Sink-Blair of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission with recently obtaining a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant to do enough repairs that the bridge’s condition can be stabilized.
“She’s just great,” Farnham said. “I’ve still got Great River Engineering working on it and they’re pursuing some grants, but this money here is enough to start doing some repairs.”
The reduced weight limit also has posed a problem for Route 66 tour buses. Because a typical bus cannot cross the bridge, tourists are prevented from seeing other sights in Devil’s Elbow, including the old Sheldon’s Market, which also doubles as the town’s post office.