The Old Chain of Rocks bridge is just a short distance north of St. Louis, MO. This bridge used to carry the famous Route 66 highway across the Mississippi River. Today this bridge is limited to pedestrian and bicycle traffic and is part of a trail system that is being developed in the area.If you wish to visit the bridge by car, you should park on Chouteau Island on the Illinois side of the river. The parking lot on the Missouri side is closed off these days, most likely due to safety concerns. You can also ride a bike from St. Louis to the bridge if you wish, or park a couple of miles away from the bridge on the Missouri side and walk.
This is the entrance to the bridge from Illinois.This is a pedestrian’s view of the bridge.
The bridge is unique because of a 22 degree bend in the middle.
There is some memorabilia on the bridge from the old days when it used to serve road traffic.
You find this rusted sign at the Missouri end of the bridge.
There also is a small rest area on the Missouri side of the bridge.
This is what the entrance to the bridge from Missouri looks like.
The next few pictures are from the bridge.
The pictures below were taken from one of the trails on Chouteau Island. The first picture also shows a water intake from the river, and the new Chain of Rocks bridge that carries Interstate 270 across the Mississippi.