Riverboat cruises to offer unique view of Merchants Bridge updates

Riverboat cruise customers will be able to get some of the best views of the Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis as well as a unique perspective during the installation of a key truss to an historic rail bridge on August 25. Regularly scheduled cruises offered by the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch that day will also offer a view of history in the making on the Mississippi River as the last truss section is replaced on the Merchants Bridge linking Missouri and Illinois at downtown St. Louis

This major step marks one of the final milestones in the $222 million project to replace this vital rail artery across the Mississippi River. The Merchants Bridge is one of America’s primary east-west rail corridors serving one of the nation’s largest rail hubs. The 133-year-old bridge is one of two freight rail bridges spanning the Mississippi River at St. Louis, and this project will double the load capacity on the bridge, enabling users to move their freight faster, more cost-effectively and more reliably. The Merchants Bridge also serves Amtrak and is a main component of the Chicago to St. Louis high-speed rail corridor. The ability to utilize both the eastbound and westbound tracks at the same time upon completion of the project in the coming weeks will be an advantage during delays on the route, helping to increase average Amtrak speeds through the downtown St. Louis portion of the trip. Currently, only one train can cross the bridge at a time due to weight restrictions.

The riverboat captain on each cruise will expand the usual narration about the Mississippi River's important role in St. Louis history and the Gateway Arch and other sights to include a brief overview of the Merchants Bridge project, its significance to the nation’s freight network and some of the steps involved installing the final truss.

“Our cruises on August 25 will provide a unique opportunity for area residents who may be bridge enthusiasts, history buffs and current or aspiring engineers or construction workers to witness history and capture a photo of the work in progress to install the final of three trusses on the bridge,” said Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President of Multi Modal Enterprises at Bi-State Development, which operates both the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch and the St. Louis Regional Freightway as two of its enterprises.

The truss installation is a complex process that will take multiple hours, so each cruise will see the truss in various stages of being raised and lowered into place.
“While it is possible the construction schedule may change in the days leading up to the truss installation and that might impact exactly what phase of the work is actually occurring the day of the cruises, getting to see and learn about this landmark project from this unique vantage point on the water will still make for a memorable experience,” said Asim Raza, Chief Legal Officer, Director of Corporate Affairs, Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis, which owns the historic bridge.

More information is available about the riverboat cruises at https://www.gatewayarch.com/buy-tickets/

About Bi-State Development
Bi-State Development (BSD) owns and operates St. Louis Downtown Airport and the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch, as well as operates the Gateway Arch Revenue Collections Center and Gateway Arch trams. BSD is the operator of the Metro Transit public transportation system in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois, which includes the 87 vehicle, 46-mile MetroLink light rail system; a MetroBus vehicle fleet of approximately 24 battery electric vehicles and nearly 400 clean-burning diesel buses that operate on 59 MetroBus routes; and Metro Call-A-Ride, a paratransit fleet of 123 vans. BSD also operates the St. Louis Regional Freightway, the region’s freight district.