Project: Saint Louis Eads Bridge Rehabilitation

City: Saint Louis

State: Missouri

ARRA Award Amount: $25 Million

Program: Urbanized Area Formula

Description:

ARRA funds will support the Eads Bridge rehabilitation under a design/build concept that will identify the structural elements to be repaired or replaced as part of the bridge recoating project, make the necessary repairs or replacements, and then completely recoat the bridge's surface. Ownership of the Eads Bridge is shared between the City of St. Louis (COSL) and Bi-State Development Agency (Metro). The COSL owns the vehicular deck and Metro owns the rail portion. This project is anticipated to create approximately 875 construction-related jobs over its two-year life. The implementation of this rehabilitation project will require the services of engineering firms to develop designs, as well as contractors to perform the work.

Completed in 1874 and spanning the Mississippi River between Missouri and Illinois at St. Louis, the Eads Bridge is 6,442 feet in length and has a clearance of 50 feet above high water. A part of the National Historic Landmarks program, the Eads Bridge was originally constructed of cast iron, wrought iron, steel members and stone masonry. Over the years, numerous rehabilitation projects have renovated the structure into its current configuration. The bridge was closed to traffic in the early 1980s. After major rehabilitation, Metro opened its light rail system along a double track located on the lower rail deck of the bridge in 1993. The City of St. Louis reopened the upper bridge deck to vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic in 2003.