3 Bridges to Explore in St. Clair County
Checkout places to visit in St. Clair County
St. Clair County is located in southwestern Illinois and is home to over 275,000 people. The county is known for its rich history, which goes all the way back to the French colonization era. It was also a major hub for Native Americans prior to and during that time, due to its location along the Mississippi River and because of its abundance of natural resources. Today, St. Clair County remains a vibrant community which features numerous historical landmarks, such as Cahokia Mounds and Fort de C
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Bridges to Explore in St. Clair County
Eads Bridge Built in 1874 by James B. Eads, it remains the oldest steel bridge over the Mississippi River, having been declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Spanning nearly 2,500 feet across the Missouri-Illinois border and resting on massive limestone piers topped with Corinthian columns and black granite coping stones, Eads Bridge has remained an impressive feat of engineering for over 140 years.
The MacArthur Bridge connects St. Clair County, Illinois, to Missouri via the Mississippi River. Construction on the bridge began in October of 2017 and at a cost of $26 million, it was opened for general public use in April 2019. Spanning 4,280 feet across the mighty Mississippi, the bridge has been named after General Douglas MacArthur to honor his achievements and contributions to American military history during World War II.
The Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge located in St. Clair County, Illinois. Spanning the Mississippi River it connects St. Louis, Missouri and East St. Louis, Illinois and is the first highway suspension bridge in Illinois with six lanes of traffic. The main span measures 835 feet and consists of two towers each rising 243 feet above the road deck which sit on foundations driven 25 to 39 feet into bedrock below the riverbed.