1923 Devils Elbow Bridge - Route 66 - Devils Elbow
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
1923 Devils Elbow Bridge - Route 66 - Devils Elbow
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
This narrow two-span through truss bridge across the Big Piney River is located in the Ozark Mountains at Devil's Elbow, Missouri. Its curved approach makes this bridge both unique and dangerous for travelers unfamiliar with it. Part of the original 1926-1943 Route 66 alignment, the bridge was constructed in 1923, predating Route 66 by three years.
The bridge is 589 feet long, and its deck is 19.4 feet wide. It has a vertical clearance of less than 14 feet. It crosses the lower portion of that "devil of an elbow" in the Piney River the town was named after. Before Route 66 came through, the bridge was part of Missouri State Highway 14.
After the new bridge opened on the 4-lane freeway through Hooker Cut, this bridge became obsolete. Only used by local traffic and die-hard Route 66 fans, it was allowed to deteriorate to almost being condemned before rehabilitation in 2013-14.
The bridge included in the Devils Elbow Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
Copyright 2022 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
June 20th, 2022
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