Reconstruction of the Merchants Bridge railroad bridge over the Mississippi River in downtown St. Louis reached a milestone on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021 as the first of three trusses was lifted into place for the $222 million project. Each truss section weighs over 8 million pounds and is built in Wisconsin and transported to St. Louis, where it is assembled and installed. The bridge was originally built in 1890. The reconstruction project will widen the bridge allowing for two sets of tracks and double the train traffic each day.
People watch from a special riverboat cruise as workers raise a new bridge truss (right) into place on the Merchants Bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Louis on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. This is the first of three trusses to be lifted in place for the $222 million project. Each truss section weighs over 8 million pounds and is built in Wisconsin and transported to St. Louis, where it is assembled and installed. The bridge was originally built in 1890. The reconstruction project will widen the bridge allowing for two sets of tracks and double the train traffic each day. Photo by Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.comColter PetersonCrews raise a new bridge truss, right, into place on the Merchants Bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Louis on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. This is the first of three trusses to be lifted in place for the $222 million project. Each truss section weights 8.6 million pounds and is built in Wisconsin and transported to St. Louis, where it is assembled and installed. The bridge was originally built in 1890. The reconstruction project will widen the bridge allowing for double the train traffic each day. Photo by Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.comColter Peterson
