Summary: |
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Eads Bridge, a National Historic Landmark, spans the Mississippi River in downtown St. Louis and supports automobile, MetroLink, bicycle and pedestrian traffic. The Bridge can also be closed to automobile traffic and used as the site for various festivals and celebrations.
View more information and maps of Eads Bridge  |
| History: |
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Eads Bridge, designed and built by engineer James B. Eads, was constructed in seven years at a cost of over $10,000,000 and was dedicated and opened July 4, 1874 as the world’s largest bridge and the first railroad bridge to cross the Mississippi River in St. Louis. The bridge was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark in 1964, and the last train passed over the bridge in 1974. The bridge was closed to automobile traffic in 1991 due to deterioration of the deck supports and was re-opened to rail traffic when the first phase of MetroLink opened in 1993. A restoration project initiated by the City of St. Louis in 1993 was completed in 2003 when the bridge was re-opened to automobile traffic. Eads Bridge was also the site for “Eats Bridge,” during St. Louis 2004’s River Splash summer celebration. |
Trailnet's
Role: |
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Trailnet became involved in 1999 with its “Save Eads Bridge” campaign which raised private funding to improve the bicycle / pedestrian access to the bridge and to preserve the historic integrity of the railings and lighting fixtures. This campaign was endorsed by the CVC, Downtown Partnership, DowntownNow!, Landmarks Association, Metropolis, RCGA, the Mayor’s Office and the Board of Aldermen. |
| Partners: |
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* Downtown Partnership
* Federal Highway Administration
* METRO
* City of St. Louis
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Major
Funders: |
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* William A. and Gertrude Bernoudy Foundation
* Deborah and Robert Dolgin
* Kay and Leo Drey
* A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc.
* Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation
* Joan and Pat Esserman
* Gateway Foundation
* Lotsie and Rick Holton
* Edward Jones
* Pat Jones
* William A. Kerr Foundation
* Nancy and Rich Marston
* Millstone-Bangert
* Missouri Department of Natural Resources
* Christine and Michael Normile
* Linda and Nicholas Penniman
* Walter Reisinger
* Ulrike and Tom Schlafly
* Georgia Van Cleve
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