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[Rothman]

^ I think the "nicer looking" bridges come about more due to the necessary span length for navigation than any aesthetic desires.

Correct. Since the river is not navigable at COR, there wasn't a chance for anything other than a generic bridge.

Hm.  I'm thinking ACOE would deem the river navigable at that point.

[Revive 755]

^ If the main channel was navigable, there wouldn't be a canal bypassing it to the east.

[Rothman]

^ If the main channel was navigable, there wouldn't be a canal bypassing it to the east.

To the government, their standards for what is a navigable waterway are quite loose, since whatever is deemed navigable means jurisdiction can be obtained. 

[edwaleni]

For the history on the Chain of Rocks area of the Mississippi....

At one time it *was* navigable, but was very difficult and depending on the current and the season (spring or late fall) there were times it would close temporarily.

The "rocks" today are partially submerged due to a nearby dam providing enough backwater to flow into the canal north of the current bridge. In dry seasons, the rocks become more visible.

If it was never navigable, they wouldn't have built the original COR bridge so high and with the kink in the middle. (boats used to clear on the west side).

The current COR river bridge (1966) couldn't be built until the COR canal was complete. Which was built over time between 1947-1956.

The original canal bridge with I-270 was actually finished in 1963, but was not used for many years due to the delays in the new COR River bridge a few miles west.

Since the lawsuits by the City of Madison were holding up the new river bridge, IDOT couldn't open the canal bridge either.

That is why I-270 traffic was diverted at MP3.8 on the former US-40 for so many years. (May 1965 is when I-270 opened to that MP from I-55)

September 1, 1966 is when the current COR bridge finally opened. But not after many death threats and mysterious construction mishaps. No root cause for the mishaps was ever found, but they stopped after Missouri threatened to close the Missouri side on the older toll bridge. Madison was collecting around $50k a month in tolls until just a month before the new bridge opened. It was in their interest to delay the new bridge opening as long as possible.

[edwaleni]

^ If the main channel was navigable, there wouldn't be a canal bypassing it to the east.

To the government, their standards for what is a navigable waterway are quite loose, since whatever is deemed navigable means jurisdiction can be obtained.

I won't go into it here, but a waterway I am familiar with was registered as navigable by the US government in 1890 (the 2 bordering states declared it navigable in 1835) but wasn't struck from the rolls until 1963.

[Plutonic Panda]

First part of this project begins construction this week:

This week is a milestone for transportation in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) blocked off the ramp from Riverview Drive in St. Louis to eastbound Interstate 270 to build a new interchange. The ramp will remain closed for more than a year.

- https://www.bnd.com/news/local/article272554853.html

[Plutonic Panda]

Project has started:

https://www.equipmentworld.com/better-roads/article/15352372/work-begins-on-new-i270-mississippi-river-bridge

[Plutonic Panda]

Update from EW: https://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/modot-idot-team-up-for-532m-chain-of-rocks-bridge-project/61342

[Road Hog]

In honor of Erasure and Pride Month, the "Chains of Love" Bridge.

[Rothman]

In honor of Erasure and Pride Month, the "Chains of Love" Bridge.

Wut.