The Meadowlands Bridge on CSAH-133 is another generic style prestressed
concrete girder bridge. It has been built strictly for function, with
no attempt to add any decorative elements. It does feature a reinforced
concrete deck and the new modern style guardrails with the slanted sides.
Perhaps there is an engineering elegance in seeing a structure fulfilling
its role in an economical and trouble-free manner.
The city of Meadowlands is located a few miles east of this Saint Louis
River crossing. The Meadowlands was once a thriving regional center that
supported a enclave of farms in Saint Louis County. The city once had a
railroad depot, a car dealership, a farm machinery dealer, plus its own
school system. But over the years, the farm economy went into the tank
and city began to whither away. Today, all that is left is a small
country store and two taverns.
The photo above is looking east along the downstream south face of the
CSAH-133 Bridge. There is brush along both sides of the river making it
difficult to get a profile view without getting wet.
The photo above is looking northeast across the bridge deck from the southwest
corner of the structure. The photo below is looking east down the center of
the bridge deck. The author's beloved Ford Ranger is visible on the far
end of the bridge. This vehicle had 225,000 miles on it at the time these
photos were taken.
The photo above is another view looking east down the downstream south face
of the CSAH-133 Bridge over the Saint Louis River. The photo below is the
bridge plate.