The Chain of Rocks bridge has been a landmark in St. Louis, Missouri for decades. Spanning the Mississippi River, it is an iconic part of the city’s Route 66 history and a popular site for tourists and locals alike. But what do you know about its history? Let’s take a closer look at how this bridge came to be.
Spanning the mighty Mississippi River between Illinois and Missouri, the Chain of Rocks Bridge is one of the most iconic structures on historic U.S. Route 66. Notable for its distinctive 22-degree bend in the middle and its rich transportation heritage, the bridge has become a beloved symbol of both engineering ingenuity and America’s love affair with the open road. It is an iconic part of Route 66 history and a popular site for tourists and locals alike. But what do you know about its history? Let’s take a closer look at how this bridge came to be.
The bridge was built to alleviate the rising traffic congestion across the Mississippi river. The western end of the bridge is on the shoreline at the north edge of St. Louis, Missouri. The eastern end of the bridge is on Chouteau Island in Madison, Illinois. It’s notable for its steel truss design and the 22-degree bend occurring at the middle of the bridge. It’s 24 feet wide and over a mile long at 5,351 feet. It sits about 60 feet above the Mississippi. It’s an excellent example of a large-scale highway bridge of the early twentieth century.
The bridge got its name from a series of rocky rapids, called the Chain of Rocks beginning just north of St. Louis. When the bridge was built in 1929, the rocks presented a serious navigation problem for boaters, but in 1960, a low water dam was built raising the water level and covering the Chain of Rocks. They are no longer visible today.
The original design for the bridge called for a straight roadway across the Mississippi, but riverboat men protested the planned design because it ran near two water intake towers for the Chain of Rocks pumping station. The intake towers plus the bridge piers would be dangerous to navigate. In addition, the straight line put the bridge over a section of river bedrock that was not sufficient to support the weight of the concrete piers. The steel structure consisted of 5 trusses forming 10 steel spans across the river totaling 5.351 feet long (or just over a mile). It is one of the longest bridges of its type in the country.
The solution to the navigation issue was to put a 22-degree bend in the middle of the bridge which was a very unusual design attribute. Although the bridge designers assured officials that the bend in the bridge would not present a problem for drivers, it became a legendary bottleneck along this part of Route 66.
The Chain of Rocks bridge was constructed by the Union Bridge and Construction Company and the American Bridge Company of New York. Construction began in 1927 and the bridge opened to traffic in July 1929. It was operated as a toll road with drivers being charged twenty-five cents per car. There was a toll house on the western end of the bridge on the Missouri side of the river, but it has been torn down. In 1936, Route 66 was realigned from another bridge to the south to the Chain of Rocks Bridge and it was designated part of U.S. Route 66. It carried that traffic until 1967 when the New Chain of Rocks Bridge was built carrying Interstate 270 traffic across the Mississippi just a few thousand feet north of the Chain of Rocks Bridge.
The roadways leading to the bridge had toll booths on both sides of the river. In the 1930s, the city of Madison issued a bond and purchased the bridge from the founding company. The collection of toll charges brought substantial revenues to the city as well as funds to maintain the bridge.
The bridge had quite an interesting history after it opened. Originally the bridge was painted red, but during World War II, the red sections were repainted green to make the bridge less visible from the air. The war brought with it gas rationing so there were fewer people traveling. To offset these costs, the city of Madison increased the bridge toll to thirty-five cents per car and five cents per passenger. In the late 1950s, the toll dropped to fifteen cents per car.
Unfortunately, the opening of the New Chain of Rocks Bridge in 1967 resulted in much less traffic across the old bridge and the tolls were ceased. By 1968, the toll revenue had decreased so much that the city of Madison could no longer afford to maintain the bridge and it was closed to vehicular traffic.
Interesting Fact: The Chain of Rocks Bridge served as a site location for the movie, Escape from New York.
Over the next several years, the bridge deteriorated due to neglect and in the mid 1970s faced demolition. But because of the cost to demolish and a drop in the price paid for scrap steel, those plans were put on hold. The fate of the bridge remained in limbo for almost twenty years, but finally in 1989, the non-profit group, Trailnet, arrived with the idea of transforming the bridge into a pedestrian and bicycle corridor rather than just another abandoned relic from the past. In 1999, their efforts paid off when it reopened the bridge as the “Route 66 Bikeway”. It’s now a part of over 300 miles of trails and greenways on both sides of the river.
The Chain of Rocks Bridge and Route 66
In 1936, the Chain of Rocks Bridge was incorporated into the alignment of U.S. Route 66, America’s legendary “Mother Road.” This alignment rerouted travelers away from downtown St. Louis, offering a more direct path to the Illinois side and on toward Chicago.
For decades, the bridge carried millions of travelers across the Mississippi River, becoming an essential crossing point on Route 66. The narrow bridge, just 24 feet wide, was particularly memorable for those driving large cars or trucks—especially due to its mid-bridge bend, which required careful navigation.
The bridge was functionally obsolete by the late 1960s due to increasing traffic and larger vehicles. In 1967, the New Chain of Rocks Bridge (I-270) was constructed just 2,000 feet upstream, diverting all vehicular traffic. By 1970, the original Chain of Rocks Bridge was closed to automobiles.
Current Status and Visitor Information
Today, the Chain of Rocks Bridge stands as both a tribute to Route 66 and a destination in its own right. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, the bridge draws thousands of visitors annually.
Key Features Today:
- Open to pedestrians and cyclists only.
- Scenic overlooks of the Mississippi River, especially at sunset.
- Close proximity to the Old Chain of Rocks Water Treatment Plant and Confluence Point State Park.
- Accessible from both the Illinois and Missouri sides, with parking available at both ends.
Events and Community Engagement:
- The bridge is a popular site for Route 66 festivals, cycling events, and community walks.
- It is often included in Route 66 travel itineraries, especially for those exploring the stretch between St. Louis and Springfield, Illinois.
Conclusion
The Chain of Rocks Bridge is far more than just steel and rivets—it is a living relic of a golden era in American transportation. With its unique design, dramatic history, and vital role in the Route 66 story, the bridge stands as a testament to preservation, innovation, and the enduring appeal of the open road.
Whether you’re tracing the footsteps of Route 66 travelers or seeking a scenic spot to experience the grandeur of the Mississippi River, the Chain of Rocks Bridge remains one of the most fascinating and photogenic stops on the Mother Road.
