Free previewStop 9 of Route 66 in Illinois: Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge
The Bridge That Changed Its Mind Midstream
You've reached the end of the Illinois road, at the old Chain of Rocks Bridge, where Route 66 once crossed the Mississippi into Missouri. Look out along the long line of steel trusses toward the middle of the river. Partway across, the whole bridge turns. That kink is a 22-degree bend, and it's the reason this crossing is like no other on the river.
When the bridge was planned in the late 1920s, it was meant to be simple. The design called for a straight roadway, 40 feet wide, running clean from shore to shore. It was a private toll bridge with a projected cost of about $1.25 million. Then the builders got into the river and found two problems.
The first was the water.
That's the opening. The rest plays at stop 9 of Route 66 in Illinois: Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge (3 min in all). Unlock the tour to hear it all, or try stop 1 free first.
