MacArthur Bridge

View an article discussing the substructure construction of this bridge

View an article discussing the superstructure construction of this bridge

View an article discussing the construction of this bridge

During the 1890s, the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis was growing in power, owning both the Merchants Bridge and the Eads Bridge, both crossing the Mississippi River. Because the TRRA owned both bridges, the TRRA could set tariff rates for freight and passengers crossing the Mississippi River at St. Louis. During the early 20th Century, the City of St. Louis desired a "free bridge", which would provide toll free passage of railroad and roadway traffic across the Mississippi River. A Municipal Bridge Commission was formed in 1905 by the Mayor Rolla Wells to study and construct a toll-free crossing of the Mississippi River. A bond issue was voted on in 1906, authorizing money to construct the bridge.

A spot near Chouteau Avenue was chosen for the proposed bridge, and a network of viaducts approaching the bridge on either side were investigated. A plan was submitted to the War Department in 1908, which utilized a design consisting of three 500-foot Pennsylvania through truss spans, with a single shared deck for railroad and roadway traffic. This plan was rejected, and the War Department ruled that the Eads Bridge formed the separation between the upper and lower Mississippi River, and the clearances of the Municipal Bridge should conform to the Thebes Bridge, which provided for a 650-foot opening. A revised plan was prepared by Boller and Hodge of New York, which utilized three larger Pennsylvania through truss spans, with a double track railroad using the lower deck, and two roadway lanes with sidewalks on the upper deck. This plan would be approved by the War Department. Because of the changes to the proposed bridge, a second bond issue would eventually be required to fund the complete bridge.

Soil borings were taken throughout 1908 to study the conditions where the main piers would be constructed. Right-of-way for the bridge was secured by condemnation and purchase, with much of the right-of-way extending through industrial and residential areas. The total cost of the right-of-way was $905,683. A contract for the construction of the four main piers was let to Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company in July 1909. In November 1909, a contract was let to the American Bridge Company for the fabrication and erection of the three trusses.

The main piers would consist of pneumatic caissons driven deep to reach bedrock. The caissons on the outer piers (piers #1 and #4) would be encased in concrete, and faced with stone. The two channel piers would use a hollow design. All piers would be faced with limestone quarried at Bedford, Indiana. Due to delays in securing the land for the eastern pier, work was not begun until December of 1909. Due to ice and high water, work on the eastern pier (pier #4) was delayed, and work on pier #1 would be completed first in April 1910. Work was again stopped at the end of 1910, with the substructure work completed by June 1911. When constructed, the 108-foot depth for the caissons of pier #4 were the deepest ever constructed using the pneumatic method. The total cost of the four piers was $468,923.

Work on erection of the superstructure began in May 1911. The main spans of the bridge would consist of one 677-foot and two 672-foot 18-panel, pin-connected Pennsylvania through truss spans. The truss spans would utilize heavily laced members, large pinned connections and trusses which were 110 feet tall at the centers. These spans would have an additional floor added midway up the truss to hold the roadway deck. Nickel steel would be used throughout the main spans of the bridge to provide a lighter and stronger design. The spans would be erected with the use of falsework and a timber traveler, which worked westwards from the east end. During the erection of the main spans, the falsework was damaged by ice several times, causing significant delays in construction. The main spans of the bridge were completed in August 1912. After completion of the main spans, the approach spans still had not been contracted. Temporary wooden stairs were added at each end of the bridge, and a wooden deck installed for pedestrian use on the railroad deck. The total cost for the fabrication and erection of the main spans would be $1,397,623.

At the time of construction, the three main trusses of the bridge were the longest, highest and heaviest through truss spans ever constructed. The trusses were also unusual for the use of two decks. The lower roadway deck was constructed to carry two tracks, utilizing an open deck and girders for stringers. The upper deck utilized steel for the floorbeams and stringers, and a concrete deck cast into forms was set onto this floor system. In addition to the roadway, two streetcar tracks would be installed on the roadway deck. The Pennsylvania through truss design was the favored design for long truss spans during the early 20th Century, as the design provided the greatest economy and strength for the size. Pin connected trusses had begun to fall out of favor during the early 20th Century, but the technology was retained for long truss spans, such as this structure. In addition, a system approach viaducts, listed on separate pages and briefly described below, utilized an exceptionally long design, with a variety of truss and girder spans.

West Approach Viaduct
Plans for a western approach would be prepared during the construction of the main bridge. The route of the approach extended west from the bridge, with the railroad and roadway running adjacent until Broadway. At Broadway, the roadway approach would continue west, ending at 6th Street. The railroad approach would diverge, ending at 7th Street and Gratoit Street. Here, it connected to the existing yards of the St. Louis Terminal Railroad. The approach would be designed by Boller, Hodge & Baird, and would use a traditional deck girder and steel tower design. A 125-foot through truss span would carry the railroad over Broadway, with a 105-foot through truss carrying the roadway over Broadway. Immediately west of the main truss span, a 155-foot through truss span would carry the roadway above the railroad deck, before running adjacent to the railroad deck. Similar to the main spans, the roadway deck would be constructed using a concrete deck cast into metal pans. In addition, passenger station would be constructed between 4th Street and Broadway. A contract would be let in August 1911 to the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company for the construction of concrete pedestals on the combined portion of the viaduct, as well as the separate roadway portion of the viaduct. A second contract would be let the same day to American Bridge Company for the fabrication of the combined viaduct and the separate roadway viaduct. Additional contracts would be let in September 1912 to the Fruin-Colnon Contracting Company for the substructures of the separate railroad viaduct, and to the American Bridge Company for the fabrication and erection of the separate railroad viaduct. The railroad viaduct was completed and the roadway viaduct opened to traffic in April 1913. The total length of the railroad west approach would be 2,652 feet and the total length of the roadway west approach would be 2,183 feet. The total cost of the west approach viaducts would be $552,427. A second bond issue would be passed in 1914, funding the completion of the bridge.

East Approach Viaduct
Several options were prepared for the location and design of the east approach. After significant disagreement with the routing of the approach, the "Reber Option" was chosen. This design extended straight east from the main bridge, with the roadway viaduct diverging at the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad crossing. The separate roadway viaduct would terminate at 10th Street and Pigott Avenue in East St. Louis. The railroad viaduct would continue east until a point near Boismenue Avenue and 15th Street, where it would curve and continue eastwards, meeting the tracks of the Alton & Southern Railroad. The design of the viaduct utilized 166 spans of deck plate girder, varying in size between 25 feet and 90 feet. 55-foot through plate girder spans would carry the railroad over 19th Street and the Illinois Transfer Railway. A combined 296-foot through truss span would carry the roadway and railroad over the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad. This unique truss utilized three truss lines, with the A 183-foot Pratt through truss span would carry the separate railroad viaduct the St. Louis, Belleville and Southern Railroad (later Illinois Central Railroad), and a 227-foot Parker through truss span over the Illinois Central Railroad near Gay Avenue. The separate roadway viaduct would utilize additional through and deck truss spans to cross roadways and railroads. A contract was let to American Bridge Company to furnish the steel, with the City of St. Louis providing labor to construct the foundations. The roadway deck opened to traffic in January 1917. The final cost of the east approach would be $1,099,453.

While the roadway deck quickly became popular, the railroad deck was not used during the early years of the structure. The City of St. Louis could not come to an agreement with other railroads to relinquish facilities at the Merchants and Eads Bridge. To provide greater connectivity to other railroads, a series of supplemental viaducts were planned for the bridge, which are detailed below:

Southwest Approach Viaduct
Between 1928 and 1929, an additional viaduct was constructed to connect to the Missouri Pacific yard immediately south of the bridge. The viaduct would branch off the west approach viaduct near the west end of the main spans, curving before reaching ground level near Carroll Street. American Bridge Company was contracted to provide the steel for the bridge, with Dunham Construction Company constructing the foundations. The viaduct used a combination of deck and through plate girder spans, with a deck truss span over an industrial building.

Northeast Approach Viaduct
In 1931, an additional viaduct was constructed to connect to the TRRA tracks near the Eads Bridge. This viaduct branched off the east approach soon after the main spans, crossing Illinois Route 3 and the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad. It would be constructed using deck plate girder spans of varying sizes, set onto steel towers and concrete pedestals. The contract for the superstructure was awarded to the Mississippi Valley Structural Steel Company, and the contract for the substructure to the Moore Brothers Construction Company.

Southeast Approach Viaduct
Shortly after the completion of the northeast viaduct, an additional short viaduct would be constructed at the east end of the east approach to connect to the Illinois Transfer Railway (TRRA). This viaduct branched off the main structure near 20th Street, reaching street level south of the east approach viaduct. It is believed this viaduct was constructed in approximately 1935, and no contractors are known at this time.

In 1942, the bridge was renamed from the Municipal Bridge to the MacArthur Bridge in honor of General Douglas MacArthur. From 1929 until the completion of the Poplar Street Bridge in 1955, the bridge would carry the famed US Highway 66. Due to the heavy use of the bridge, the roadway deck would gradually grow into disrepair. After the completion of the additional railroad viaducts, railroad traffic steadily increased on the bridge. By 1981, the bridge would be closed to automobile traffic, and portions of the eastern roadway approach removed. The bridge would be given to the Terminal Railroad Association in 1989 as part of a swap, with St. Louis acquiring the Eads Bridge.

Between the 1990s and 2022, the roadway deck was completely removed from the west approach, main spans and much of the east approach. The deck had long been abandoned, and posed a safety hazard to the public below. The 155-foot truss spans were removed at this time. In 2022, the truss span on the west approach over Broadway would be replaced with a modern deck girder span. As of 2024, plans are underway to begin extensive repairs to the bridge. Proposed repairs include the replacement of the floor of the main trusses, as well as replacement of portions of the east approach. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, but needs upgrades due to the volume of traffic carried. The author has ranked this bridge as being nationally significant, due to the exceptionally long spans and unique history.