The historic Eads Bridge was the most southerly Mississippi
River railroad crossing when it opened in the mid-1870s, and that opening
was a major national event. The span was one of
the first significant steel bridges in the world. Its design and
construction techniques were considered
daring -- to the point that many commentators of the era predicted that that
project would never
succeed. The bridge, not without some early
problems, has endured.
Regular railroad traffic ceased using it in the late 1980s.
MetroLink replaced the old rails on the lower level. An eastbound
train is visible by the near pier.
The upper level, reconstructed, provides a vehicular and pedestrian
passageway.
This photo was taken
from an overlook on the fringes of the Gateway Arch area, more formally
known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. |
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