Jump to content

Eads Bridge

From Alfawiki
Illinois and St. Louis Bridge Company
IndustryBridge construction
Founded1867
FounderJames Buchanan Eads
FateBankruptcy and auctioned in 1875
SuccessorSt. Louis Bridge Company (1875), later Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (1877)
Headquarters
St. Louis
,
United States

The Eads Bridge serves as a dual-purpose crossing for both road vehicles and trains over the Mississippi River, linking St. Louis, Missouri with East St. Louis, Illinois. Situated along the St. Louis riverfront between Laclede's Landing and the grounds of the Gateway Arch, this structure was conceived and constructed under the direction of James Buchanan Eads. Construction commenced in 1867 and reached completion in 1874, marking it as the inaugural bridge spanning the Mississippi south of the Missouri River and the oldest extant bridge over this river.

Spanning such a vast and powerful waterway necessitated groundbreaking engineering techniques. The bridge was among the first to employ large-scale steel instead of wrought iron for its framework. Its foundations were sunk more than 100 feet beneath the water surface, utilizing innovative pneumatic caissons—the largest constructed in the United States at that time. The central arch stretched 520 feet, holding the record as the longest rigid span worldwide during its era. The arches were assembled while suspended from temporary wooden towers, demonstrating an early use of the "cantilever principle" in large bridge construction. These engineering advancements later influenced projects such as the Brooklyn Bridge, which began construction in 1870.

As a prominent symbol of St. Louis, second only to the Gateway Arch, the Eads Bridge’s roadway was closed to automobile traffic from 1991 until 2003 but has since been reopened for both vehicles and pedestrians. It connects Washington Avenue in St. Louis with Riverpark Drive and East Broadway in East St. Louis. The former rail deck now accommodates the St. Louis MetroLink light rail system, providing transit between Missouri and Illinois stations.

Recognized as a National Historic Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places, this bridge handled approximately 8,100 vehicles daily as of April 2014—a decrease of around 3,000 following the February 2014 inauguration of the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Construction

The Illinois and St. Louis Bridge Company undertook construction of the Eads Bridge, with the steel superstructure assembled by the Keystone Bridge Company, established in 1865 by industrialist Andrew Carnegie.

Post-Civil War expansion of railroads had reduced river-based shipping traffic, while Chicago emerged as a dominant center for Western trade. The bridge project aimed to reestablish St. Louis as a key commercial hub by facilitating rail and vehicular crossings over the Mississippi. Despite lacking prior experience in bridge engineering, James Eads was appointed chief engineer.

Interests tied to steamboat navigation pushed for strict construction limitations to preserve navigable clearances, effectively demanding an imposing design that conventional engineering methods could not fulfill—intended to prevent bridge construction and safeguard river commerce dominance.

The design incorporated three spans composed of tubular metal arches resting on shore abutments and mid-river piers. Each span featured four pairs of arches supporting an upper deck for vehicles and a lower deck for trains. Construction contended with state and federal regulations prohibiting suspension or drawbridge designs, banning wood materials, and imposing restrictions on span length and clearance height. The uneven terrain required deep excavation—38 meters below water on the Illinois side and 26 meters on the Missouri side—to reach bedrock foundations.

This project was pioneering in its emphasis on precision engineering, stringent quality control, and one of the earliest major applications of structural alloy steel through cast chromium steel components—though subsequent evaluations indicated limited chromium content and reliance mainly on wrought iron. Eads preferred steel for its superior compressive strength suited to arch structures given material constraints.

Challenges at the site prompted inventive approaches. Foundations were established using deep caissons sunk nearly 100 feet beneath water level—a novel civil engineering method at that time. To avoid obstructing river traffic, engineers employed cantilevered rigging systems instead of traditional falsework during arch closure.

Masonry piers rose approximately 120 feet above water, anchored by 78 feet embedded within sandy riverbed atop metal caissons pressurized with compressed air—a technique Eads had observed during European travels. Workers were exposed to "caisson disease," resulting in 15 fatalities, two permanent disabilities, and numerous severe cases.

Eads obtained 47 patents related to various bridge components and construction apparatuses. On July 4, 1874, President Ulysses S. Grant officially dedicated the bridge; General William T. Sherman drove in the ceremonial golden spike. Structural integrity was demonstrated by simultaneously crossing fourteen locomotives.

On June 14, 1874, John Robinson led an elephant across as a "test" load to prove safety—capitalizing on elephants’ reputed instinct to avoid unsafe structures. Two weeks afterward, multiple locomotives traversed together successfully. The grand opening on July 4 included a parade extending fifteen miles through St. Louis.

During its construction phase, The New York Times described it as "The World's Eighth Wonder." The total expenditure approached $10 million (equivalent to roughly $ million when adjusted for inflation).

Early history

During its construction, the Eads Bridge suffered from insufficient capitalization and carried a significant debt load. At that time, St. Louis, primarily focused on river commerce, lacked suitable rail terminal infrastructure, and the bridge’s design inadequately addressed coordination with rail access. Although the bridge was a triumph in terms of engineering and aesthetics, its operations went bankrupt within a year due to railroad boycotts that drastically reduced toll income. The bridge was subsequently auctioned off for just 20 cents on the dollar, an event that precipitated the failure of the National Bank of the State of Missouri—the largest bank collapse in the United States at that time. While many financiers faced indictments, James Eads himself escaped financial repercussions.

The granite used in the bridge’s construction originated from a quarry in Iron County, Missouri, owned by B. Gratz Brown, who served as both a Missouri Governor and U.S. Senator and played a key role in securing federal funding.

Following the Illinois and St. Louis Bridge Company’s collapse, the bridge was sold at public auction in April 1875 for $2 million to a newly formed St. Louis Bridge Company controlled by creditors. This entity was later acquired in 1877 by the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA).

At the 1893 Columbian Exposition, Missouri displayed a sugar cane model representing the bridge. In 1898, it appeared on the $2 Trans-Mississippi postage stamp series; its image was also reproduced on a commemorative souvenir sheet one hundred years later.

In 1949, electromagnetic strain gauge testing reassessed the bridge’s load capacity, increasing its allowable weight from 3,000 to 5,000 pounds per foot. According to biographer Carol Ferring Shepley, the Eads Bridge remains among the most remarkable bridges ever constructed.

Recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1964 for its groundbreaking design and engineering importance, on the occasion of its centennial in 1974, architectural critic Ada Louise Huxtable described it as "one of mankind’s most beautiful creations."

Later history

By the latter part of the 20th century, passenger rail use across the Eads Bridge had diminished significantly due to growing automobile dependence and restructuring within the railroad industry. By the 1970s, the Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) had ceased using its tracks on the Eads Bridge; all remaining passenger rail services were rerouted to the MacArthur Bridge during Amtrak’s early years because modern diesel locomotives could not operate on the Eads Bridge or its adjacent tunnel.

Ownership of the bridge remained with TRRA until 1989 when control was transferred to both the Bi-State Regional Transportation Authority and the City of St. Louis for integration into the St. Louis MetroLink light rail system. In return, TRRA took ownership of the MacArthur Bridge from the city.

MetroLink service over this structure commenced in 1993. The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic between 1991 and 2003 while restoration work on the highway deck was underway.

In 1998, a collision involving a towboat nearly caused the riverboat casino SS Admiral to break loose from moorings at the bridge site, leading to safety enhancements recommended by the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center to mitigate future hazards.

In 2012, Metro/ Bi-State Development Agency initiated a $48 million rehabilitation project aimed at extending the bridge’s operational life through at least 2091. The comprehensive renovation involved replacing approximately 1.2 million pounds of original steel supports, removing corrosion, applying rust-inhibitive coatings, repairing structural damage, reconstructing concrete foundations, restoring brick arches, and upgrading MetroLink tracks. About $27 million of this funding originated from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Although originally scheduled for 2009, work was postponed until 2012 due to labor disputes and budget overruns. The rehabilitation effort concluded successfully in 2016.

Construction

City officials initially desired a wagon bridge to link downtown St. Louis; however, the economic requirements necessitated a railroad bridge, and the city center lacked available space for rail lines. Consequently, a tunnel was approved to connect the bridge southward to the Missouri Pacific Railroad and subsequently to St. Louis Union Station.

Eads designed a 4,000-foot-long "cut and cover" tunnel positioned 30 feet beneath street level. The bidding process took place in August 1872, with William Skrainka and Company securing the contract and commencing work in October. Construction obstacles included quicksand, underground springs, numerous injuries among workers, and at least one fatal accident.

On November 29, the city council altered the tunnel’s route to Eight Street and transferred construction authority to the St. Louis Tunnel Railroad Company. By April, Skrainka & Co. deemed the project overly complex, completing only the section south of Market Street. The northern segment was assigned to James Andrews, who was responsible for building the bridge piers.

After seven years of development, the Eads Bridge officially opened on July 4, 1874. The inauguration featured a fifteen-car train carrying 500 distinguished guests from the St. Louis, Vandalia, and Terre Haute Railroad station in East St. Louis, crossing the bridge and passing through the tunnel.

Operation

Smoke from steam locomotives posed significant issues within tunnels; at that time, specially engineered coke-burning "smoke-consuming engines" from Baldwin Locomotive Works had not yet been procured. Passengers reportedly experienced smoke inhalation since only a single track was operational and ventilation systems were inadequate.

The St. Louis Bridge Company likely maintained a transfer facility in East St. Louis where trains switched from steam locomotives to coke-burning engines for safe passage through the tunnel—an arrangement reminiscent of New Jersey’s later Manhattan Transfer station, where passengers changed between electric and steam trains.

In 1875, both the bridge and tunnel companies faced bankruptcy. By 1881, control shifted to Jay Gould, who secured dominance by threatening construction of a rival bridge upstream. Gould played a pivotal role in establishing the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis in 1889, which led to building St. Louis Union Station in 1894.

Currently, the Eads Bridge along with its tunnel is utilized by Metrolink, St. Louis’s light rail transit system.

See also

Bibliography

  • Jackson, Robert W. Rails across the Mississippi: A History of the St. Louis Bridge. University of Illinois Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0252074097

Further reading

  • Cook, Richard J. North American Railroad Bridges: Their Past and Present Beauty. Golden West Books, 1987. ISBN 0-87095-097-5
  • Jackson, Robert W. Rails Spanning the Mississippi: The History of the St. Louis Bridge. University of Illinois Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0252074097
  • Kouwenhoven, John A. "Designing the Eads Bridge." Technology and Culture, vol. 23, no. 4, 1982, pp. 535–568.
  • Miller, Howard S., and Scott Quinta. The Eads Bridge. University of Missouri Press, 1979. ISBN 9780826202666
  • Whitney, Charles S. World Bridges: Their Engineering and Architecture. Dover Publications, 2003 (Reprint). ISBN 978-0486429953
  • Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Nomination Form for the National Register of Historic Places.

External links

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Eads_Bridge&oldid=15708"