Remember President Obama's 2009 economic stimulus program? Add another completed project to the program's successes: the restoration of the multi-modal 1874 iconic Eads Bridge connecting St. Louis and East St. Louis, Ill. over the Mississippi River.
A celebration of the completion of the four-year, $48 million rehabilitation of the 142-year-old Eads Bridge, seen below with a St. Louis Metrolink light rail train running on the lower deck, occurred on October 7.
"The Eads Bridge, named for designer and builder James Eads, was the world's longest when built, the first using all steel for its arched spans, the first to exclusively cantilever supports, according to a Greatriverroad.com visitor's guide," reports AASHTO Journal.
Federal funds covered 91 percent of the project cost, said [Bi-State Development, which co-owns the bridge with the city of St. Louis], including $27 million coming from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds and $4.8 million from a federal grant to St. Louis. Local funds covered the non-federal portion.
"Eads Bridge is the world's first steel-truss bridge, and an engineering marvel," according to the St. Louis Cultural Resources Office. It was dedicated as as the city's first National Historic Landmark in 1964.
The October 7 celebration was also covered by the St. Louis Pubic Radio.
In addition to motor vehicles and 300 light rail trains daily, pedestrians and cyclists also cross on the top deck.
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