The Ultimate Curveball: The Fascinating History of the Chain of Rocks Bridge

Spanning the mighty Mississippi River, The Chain of Rocks Bridge connects St. Louis, Missouri with Madison, Illinois. Construction was completed in 1929 and immediately drew attention because of its unique engineering.

Originally the bridge was planned as a straight, 40 foot wide road, across the river, but that was soon to change. Once construction started, engineers realized that the bedrock underneath a section of the bridge was not strong enough to support the structure’s dense 55-ft high piers.

Riverboat captains also complained that navigating between the bridge’s piers, and two nearby water intake towers, was treacherous. Thus, the bridge was completed with a 22 degree change in direction in the middle of the Mississippi.

In 1936 the bridge became an official section of Route 66 when the Mother Road was routed over it. As traffic increased in the 1940s and 50s with the rise of automobile culture, the bridge saw thousands of cars pass over it daily.

As the decades progressed, traffic began to supersede the capacity of the bridge. In 1966 the New Chain of Rocks Bridge was constructed directly North of the original site. This new structure was home to the I-270 which bypassed Route 66.

The old Chain of Rocks bridge finally closed to vehicular traffic in 1970. Years went by and nobody was exactly quite sure what to do with the old bridge.

In 1981, John Carpenter used the location in his movie, “Escape from New York” as the fictional “69th street bridge” in New York City. The old Chain of Rocks bridge seemed destined for demolition yet the cost of blowing up the structure was prohibitive. Instead, the bridge was abandoned and allowed to decay, but this led to other issues such as a rise in crime along the old structure. In April of 1991 the once picturesque bridge was in the news again, however this time as the location of the Julie and Robin Kerry murders. Thankfully, in 1998, Trailnet, a group that works to create better trails for walking, hiking, and biking, leased the bridge. Millions of dollars were invested to renovate the location for pedestrians and cyclists.

Today, under the Great Rivers Greenway District, the old Chain of Rocks Bridge continues to receive grants and investments for improving security, preserving wetlands, and creating nature trails on either end of the bridge.

It’s a classic spot along the Mother Road and its unique engineering is something to marvel. Additionally, the walkway provides incredible views of the Mississippi river. Don’t miss this one while traveling Route 66.