US Routes 60 and 62 cross the Mississippi River between Cairo, Illinois and Birds Point, Missouri via a two-lane cantilevered Warren through truss bridge.
The Cairo Bridge was constructed in 1929 by the Cairo Bridge and Terminal Company who selected the American Bridge Company to built the superstructure and the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company for the substructure. 1 Waddell & Hardesty served as the consulting engineering and design firm, and operational and maintenance contracts were awarded to Sverdrup and Parcel.
The tolled bridge was acquired by the Cairo Bridge Commission on March 24, 1942, 1 and was operated and maintained by the Commission until the original construction bonds were paid off on May 22, 1954. At that time, the tolls were removed.
The Cairo Bridge was closed for a $3 million rehabilitation project between March 16 to October 13, 2015. 2 It opened five months ahead of schedule.
Information
- State: Illinois, Missouri
- Route: US Route 60, US Route 62
- Type: Warren through truss
- Status: Active - Automobile
- Total Length: 5,175 feet
- Main Span Length: 701 feet
- Deck Width: 20 feet
- Above Vertical Clearance: 17.8 feet
Sources
- Bridge plaque.
- “Mississippi River Bridge to Close for a Year.” The Southern Illinoisan, 24 Feb. 2015. Web. 2016.