The Troubled Beginnings of the Poplar Street Bridge | Living St. Louis

[@ReallifeBambiDeerattheFarm1]

The Poplar Street Bridge is a popular name for it, and it always will be, just like the iconic red 9 will always be associated with KETC.

[@clarkst.4190]

Carved up our city. Brutal.

[@rjmcallister1888]

The other major problem was trying to sort how to get Highways 40, 50 and 66 to the bridge and out of downtown traffic. Thus, 'depressed lanes' off the Third Street Expressway and the myriad ramps which still present problems along Memorial Drive and the double-decker Highway 40, built above Poplar Street and not complete for another four years. US 50 would get moved to Lindbergh to Jefferson Barracks and eventually I-255; 66 went down 55 to Gravois and 40 had to go down Market and other streets to get to Memorial and a ramp to the bridge. Good thing US 67 had already been moved to Kingshighway.

[@spuwho]

The "problems" with getting the Poplar Street Bridge built (beyond the flooding) was not coincidental. The new Chain of Rocks Bridge also had problems getting built. Why? They were free bridges replacing toll bridges. Those toll bridges were built by the towns they connected and enriched their local coffers after their bond payment. City of Madison IL owned the original COR bridge. City of East St Louis owned the elevated toll bridge on the MacArthur. Free bridges threatened their cash cow and any delays benefitted them immensely. Unique to St Louis? No. Dating back to the issue of the Brooklyn Bridge, NYC ferry interests, unhappy that a bridge was going to take away a large amount of business constantly interfered with construction.

[@FurthermoreJack]

Would had been just as impressive if the Poplar Bridge went under the arch