Route 66 Bridge
The historic Route 66 Meramec River Bridge is a vital missing link, reconnecting people with rivers, trails, parks, and nearby communities. By restoring this iconic structure, we can honor its past while creating new opportunities for recreation, connection, and discovery. Join us in bringing the bridge back to life and building a vibrant future for Missouri’s State Parks.
Saving a Piece of Route 66 History.
A Link to the Past, a Path to the Future
Route 66 once carried motorists more than 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. At its height, the historic Meramec River Bridge welcomed millions of travelers as they crossed Missouri along the “Main Street of America.” Restoring this landmark will preserve its legacy while giving it new life and purpose.
Our goal is to restore the bridge and re-establish its role as part of the region’s larger greenway system. The revitalized structure will reconnect both sides of Route 66 State Park and expand access to the visitor center for hikers, cyclists, and boaters. Already recognized internationally by Route 66 travelers and architecture enthusiasts, the bridge has the potential to become a catalyst for new outdoor recreation opportunities and future development—ensuring this historic treasure continues to inspire generations to come.
Preserving, Restoring & Protecting
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 1,008-foot Meramec River Bridge is a striking example of engineering excellence and functional beauty. Completed in 1932, it remains one of the few Warren-Truss bridges in Missouri.
Preserving this landmark carries a sense of urgency. The truss has an estimated lifespan of only seven more years. Originally slated for demolition in 2017 due to advanced deterioration, the bridge was spared when Missouri State Parks assumed ownership—granting it a temporary reprieve from the wrecking ball.
Today, we have the opportunity to restore the bridge as a vital connection for walkers and cyclists in Route 66 State Park. With additional funding, we can protect this historic structure and transform it into a lasting cultural and recreational asset for Missouri and beyond.
An Architectural Beauty
Built by the Frazier-Davis Construction Company in 1931–1932, with steel fabricated by Stupp Bros. Bridge & Iron Company, the Route 66 Meramec River Bridge is a rare surviving example of early 20th-century engineering. One of only four Warren Truss bridges remaining in Missouri, it represents both technical achievement and enduring design.
The Warren Truss, patented in 1848 by James Warren and Theobald Manzani, uses a precise arrangement of equilateral triangles—top and bottom “chords” connected by vertical posts and diagonals—to stiffen and strengthen the roadbed. The Meramec River Bridge reflects this ingenuity in its three-span structure, totaling 1,008 feet in length and 30 feet in width.
Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, the bridge embodies both engineering excellence and functional beauty. Preserving it will honor its legacy while giving new life and purpose as a cultural and recreational landmark for generations to come.
A renewed Route 66 Meramec River Bridge will immediately create a convenient east- west connection within the park, providing access to the trails and other natural resources on the 424 acres and also improving logistics for park staff. In addition, the dramatic typography around the site allows for impressive outlook and viewing opportunities.
The bridge will move forward the vision of connecting the park to the Meramec Greenway, which currently stretches from Sherman Beach in southwest St. Louis County along the river to Glencoe. Connecting Route 66 State Park and the Meramec Greenway will one day provide access to the 240-mile- long Ozark Trail, which stretches southwest through Missouri into Arkansas. Via the proposed plan, the new Route 66 Meramec River Bridge will act as a catalyst for the future development of the site, enabling a network of trails and greenways that connect people to their rivers, parks and communities.
We've partnered with Missouri State Parks and numerous other organizations to save the historic bridge spanning the Meramec River at Route 66 State Park in Eureka.
We serve as the financial repository and fiscal agent for the project, holding donated funds until they're needed.