Alleys & Ruins no. 131, MacArthur Bridge (2009, St Louis, MO, 12:45am
Alleys & Ruins no. 131, MacArthur Bridge (2009, St Louis, MO, 12:45am
A short behind-the-scenes video is available here.
The MacArthur Bridge connects St Louis to East St Louis across the Mississippi River. The 100 year-old bridge towers over the industrial south side of St Louis, where this was shot and meanders through the run-down buildings in the area.
The Bridge opened in 1917 to great fanfare as it was the first area bridge to not charge a toll to cross the river. Toll price gouging had been an ongoing problem.
Once part of Route 66, it was one of the longest bridges in the world at the time, and had a unique double decker structure for cars and trains. Its sheer size and length made it an awe-inspiring, engineering marvel.
Despite its popularity it was also wildly dangerous. The car deck had a sharp turn where it met the bridge trusses. Faster vehicles would often crash through the railing and plummet a hundred feet.
A new bridge in 1967 siphoned all the traffic. In 1981 the upper deck was permanently closed to vehicles and is being dismantled. The rail part of the bridge continues to operate.
I had been to this spot by the bridge a few times over the years, and in fact shot it from this vantage point in 2008, but was not happy with the results. I couldn't let this majestic tribute to rust just sit there, so in 2009 while in St Louis, I revisited the location.
The top, abandoned car deck was rusted through - the decay being so severe in parts that a car (or a person) would just drop through.
On the lower level, which still allows trains to chug through it, you can see a white light trail on the left, as a train rolled through right when the exposure was ending - one of the very few times I've allowed a light trail (other than stars) in my alley images.
In 2010 I met an engineer commissioned to study and report on demolishing the bridge. Its fate, he told me, was up in the air. But in 2016 I re-visited the bridge and saw they were slowly dismantling the upper car deck. Trains continue to roll through.
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