Merchants Bridge

Merchants Bridge
The bridge in 2025
Coordinates38°40′29″N 90°11′10″W / 38.67472°N 90.18611°W / 38.67472; -90.18611
CarriesFreight and passenger traffic
Union Pacific, BNSF, Amtrak
CrossesMississippi River
LocaleSt. Louis, Missouri, and Venice, Illinois
Official nameMerchants Memorial Mississippi Rail Bridge
OwnerTerminal Railroad Association of St. Louis
Characteristics
DesignSteel truss bridge
Total length2,490 feet (760 m)
Longest span520 feet (160 m)
Clearance above83 feet (25 m)
Capacity70 trains per day
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks2
History
Opened1889
Rebuilt2022
Statistics
Daily traffic32.3 trains per day (as of 2014)
Location

The Merchants Bridge, officially the Merchants Memorial Mississippi Rail Bridge, is a rail bridge crossing the Mississippi River between St. Louis, Missouri, and Venice, Illinois. The bridge is owned by the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis. It opened in May 1889 and crosses the river 3 miles (5 km) north of the Eads Bridge.