Meramec Greenway: Historic Route 66 Bridge Over the Meramec River

Project Overview

The U.S. Route 66 Bridge over the Meramec River in Route 66 State Park was built in 1931. It has a unique Warren Truss support structure (one of four in Missouri) and is in great disrepair. The bridge decking was removed in 2010 to help preserve the support structure by taking the weight off the aging truss. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), had plans to demolish the remaining bridge structure if a viable redevelopment plan was not established by the end of 2016.

Thanks to a collaborative effort from many stakeholders, Missouri State Parks owns the bridge and is working with Great Rivers Greenway to design the bridge.

Project Partners

• Missouri State Parks
• Missouri State Parks Foundation
• Great Rivers Greenway

Current Status

Development of construction documents and drawings are underway.

Project Timeline

• 2021: Missouri State Parks, Missouri State Parks Foundation and Great Rivers Greenway engaged a team of engineers to assess the bridge’s current conditions and develop a cost estimate and renderings for the plan to restore it for people walking and biking.
• 2021 (August): The consulting team presented their estimate to restore and refresh the bridge ($9 million) and renderings at the Route 66 State Park Annual Meeting.
• 2022: Feasibility study and cost estimates complete.
• 2023: Missouri State Parks and Great Rivers Greenway entered into cost share agreement for the development of construction drawings and documents. Missouri State Parks is the project manager; Great Rivers Greenway is the project partner. Construction will be funded by Missouri State Parks and Great Rivers Greenway.
• 2024/2025: Development of construction documents and drawings, underway now.
• 2026: Goal is to have the project complete for the Route 66 Centennial Anniversary in 2026.