Eads Bridge

Collisions

Eads Bridge has been struck by vessels on a number of occasions. Many of these accidents occurred during periods of high water, when the vertical clearance below the bridge is compromised and strong currents interfere with navigation.

• On October 14, 1969, the pilothouse of the towboat Elaine Jones struck the superstructure of Eads Bridge, resulting in the death of the towboat's pilot.[1]


• On 22 March 1973, three empty barges broke free of their moorage and were swept downstream, striking the east span of the bridge. The lower chord of the upstream arch-rib was damaged, requiring replacement of a section of the tube.[2]

According to Howard Miller The Eads Bridge, the removed tube section is preserved in the collections of the National Museum of Transportation, St Louis, Missouri.[7]


• On April 4, 1998, the towboat Anne Holley, which was traveling upstream with a tow of twelve loaded and two unloaded barges, struck the Missouri-side pier of the center span of Eads Bridge. Eight barges broke free and drifted back through the Missouri span. Three of these barges struck the permanently-moored casino boat Admiral, causing the near break-away of the Admiral, which was occupied at the time by approximately 1,000 casino patrons. Disaster was averted by the Anne Holley's crew, who cut loose their barges and used the towboat's engines to pin the Admiral against the riverbank while it was evacuated.[3] [4]


• On July 16, 2015, The pilothouse of the Towboat Danny Bradford struck maintenance scaffolding suspended below Eads Bridge, killing a worker on the scaffold.[5]


• On May 3, 2019, the towboat Legacy, approaching the bridge from upstream, struck the superstructure of the bridge, collapsing the boat's pilothouse. There were no injuries and the bridge was not damaged.[6]