News Release 540

BRIDGE IN ROUTE 66 STATE PARK
WILL REOPEN SATURDAY

Volume 34-540

Contact: Sue Holst

(For immediate release)

573-751-6510

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, DEC. 8, 2006 -- The bridge across the Meramec River in Route 66 State Park near Eureka will reopen to vehicle traffic Saturday, Dec. 9, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced today.

The bridge was closed Nov. 3 for repairs. During a routine inspection of the bridge, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) bridge engineers found significant deterioration of the concrete piers that support the bridge's structure. The bridge was closed for safety reasons while MoDOT crews repaired the bridge's supporting structure.

The bridge serves as a main corridor across the river from the visitor center on the east end of the park to the main day-use facilities on the west end of the park. While the bridge was closed, visitors who wanted to use the day-use facilities accessed the park by using Williams Road at Exit 265 from eastbound Interstate 44. People wanting to access the visitor center could do so from Lewis Road at Exit 266.

The bridge is part of the original Route 66, the historic highway that runs through the park. The 419-acre park showcases Route 66, which has been called "The Main Street of America." A roadhouse along Route 66, built in 1935, now serves as the park's visitor center. Day-use facilities at the park include walking, bicycling and equestrian trails, picnic areas, a playground and a boat ramp for access to the Meramec River.

Route 66 State Park is located two miles east of Eureka off Interstate 44. For more information, call the park directly at 636-938-7198 or the Department of Natural Resources toll free at 800-334-6946 or 800-379-2419 (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf).

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/parkssearch.do.

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