Old Chain of Rocks Bridge / Banpo Dae Gyo

For about two years, I found myself biking the St. Louis Riverfront Trail every Sunday morning.  I'd bike around downtown, hold my breath through the factories and brownfields, and finally get out onto the trail proper.  The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge was my destination every time.  I'd get there, bike halfway across it, sit on a bench, and pull my lunch out of my bag.  My victory lunch over the river meant a lot to me.  I'd try to ride back before the sun got too hot. 

The amazing thing about the Chain of Rocks Bridge is that when you get to the other side, you find yourself in another state.  Ideally, I'd love to bike from there down the Illinois side to East St. Louis and cross the Eads Bridge back into St. Louis.

The bridge used to be pretty important as part of Route 66.  It fell into disuse, but has been made into a beautiful park and historic spot.

There is Banpo Dae Gyo (Great Banpo Bridge) in Seoul, South Korea that has also seen tougher days.

It is a two level bridge and the bottom level has flooded fully in the past.  Seoul City has made great efforts to reduce flooding.  Both banks of the Han River have been converted into wide parks filled with trails and potential room for spillover.  They've been dredging it to deepen it (and sell the sand and gravel).  The tributaries have been widened and daylighted as well.  Since both banks of the Han are now filled with bike riders, The bottom level of the bridge (잠수교) has had a few lanes converted for bikes and pedestrians,

In 2008, Seoul City selected Banpo Bridge as one of the four bridges in Seoul to make into historic landmarks of iconic value.  Now, it pumps water directly from the river and forms the longest fountain in the world.

Perhaps Banpo Dae Gyo has more in common with the Eads Bridge, but I personally have more connection with the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.  In comparing the two, I am trying to speak on how nice it is to have a mighty river in your city and to be able to ride your bike across it.  It is important to hold onto the bridge for its historic legacy, but also to integrate it into the urban infrastructure so that it may be used by the citizenry, admired, and cherished. 

It looks like Trailnet and the Great Rivers Greenway District know this.  The Eads bridge has had some good ideas tossed around it.  I still think Eats Bridge is clever and St. Louis 2004 deserves props for that.  The McKinley Bridge is open for bikes.  It seems that National Park service is considering ways to integrate East St. Louis into the arch grounds and make it a proper gateway.  I completely agree and suggest full pedestrian and bike mobility between the two banks.  A direct bridge may destroy that iconic reflection in the water.

A direct tunnel under the water coming up on both banks would be my idea.  It would need to be very wide and bike friendly, far enough in to not be affected by floods.  I suggest this rendering from a proposed tunnel under the Berring Strait.

Just joking.  Good pedestrian areas on the Poplar Street and Eads Bridges would be wonderful.

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This article is part of a family of articles comparing the Mississippi and Han rivers.

This article relates to the Arch Grounds.