Eads Bridge, September 1993.

The Eads Bridge is among the most significant structures in St. Louis (the others being the Arch, the Wainright, and Union Station). It is a prominent feature of downtown and the riverfront, to the point of being featured in numerous postcard views. Historically, it was the first bridge to cross the Mississippi at St. Louis (and among the very first to cross it anywhere). Its design made pioneering use of steel; it was the first use of pressurized construction chambers (and construction crews paid a heavy price due to the then-unknown effects of "the bends".)

But for years, it has been in deplorable condition. In 1991, Metrolink engineers discovered that the upper level traffic deck was too weak to support cars. The deck was eventually stripped off, as seen in this circa 1995 photograph.

Metrolink began using the lower rail deck around 1993 or so, marking the first time that trains had run across the bridge since the early 1970s. The light rail system also makes use of the one mile tunnel underneath downtown that feeds the rail portion of the bridge.

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