Blanchette Memorial Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Blanchette Memorial Bridge are two twin cantilever bridge
s carrying Interstate 70
across the Missouri River
between St. Louis County and St. Charles County
, Missouri
, opened in 1959. Handling an average of 165,000 vehicle transits per day, it is the area's busiest bridge. Construction of the first interstate highway project under provisions of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 started west of the bridge's present location. A sign commemorating the site of the nation's first interstate project stands next to Interstate 70 just east of the Missouri Route 94/First Capitol Drive overpass.
The bridge is named for French Canadian fur trader and hunter Louis Blanchette
, who founded St. Charles as a post along the Missouri River; the village was the first European settlement along this waterway.
Major rehabilitations for the Westbound span have been addressed to MoDot in the late 2000s. the project will start by the closure of the westbound span in late 2011. Westbound traffic will be diverted to the freeways east side. The project will be complete by 2013.
Cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
s carrying Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
across the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
between St. Louis County and St. Charles County
Saint Charles County, Missouri
As of 2000, there were 283,883 people, 101,663 households, and 77,060 families residing in the county. The population density was 507 people per square mile . There were 105,514 housing units at an average density of 73 persons/km²...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, opened in 1959. Handling an average of 165,000 vehicle transits per day, it is the area's busiest bridge. Construction of the first interstate highway project under provisions of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 started west of the bridge's present location. A sign commemorating the site of the nation's first interstate project stands next to Interstate 70 just east of the Missouri Route 94/First Capitol Drive overpass.
The bridge is named for French Canadian fur trader and hunter Louis Blanchette
Louis Blanchette
Louis Blanchette was a French Canadian explorer who travelled to North America in the 18th century. After exploring parts of Missouri, he is remembered for founding the city of St...
, who founded St. Charles as a post along the Missouri River; the village was the first European settlement along this waterway.
Major rehabilitations for the Westbound span have been addressed to MoDot in the late 2000s. the project will start by the closure of the westbound span in late 2011. Westbound traffic will be diverted to the freeways east side. The project will be complete by 2013.