Discover the beauty of the Chain of Rocks Bridge and the Great Rivers Greenway in St. Louis, with their scenic parks, recreational activities, and conservation efforts along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
Sunday April 14, 2024, marked the opening of The Chain of Rocks Bridge in the northern edge of St. Louis, near the county. Not only was the bridge open for use to pedestrians but the 16 acre park is also open for the public to enjoy. Many people are still not familiar with the Great Rivers Greenway but don’t worry I’ll fill you in to give you some insight into what it is.
Courtesy of Keith Watkins
The Great Rivers Greenway is the public agency connecting the St. Louis region with greenways. You may ask the question,” What are greenways”? Greenways are corridors of land conserved for recreation or environmental protection. Along rivers, creeks and brooks they form natural buffers that protect the quality of our water. They support healthy ecosystems in and along the rivers, and ultimately help protect our water supply.
The event kicked off with live music by the St. Louis Boogie Brass Band who played wonderful familiar tunes by major recording artists and they also played original songs. The host of the event was Emma Klues VP of Communications & Outreach at Great Rivers Greenway.
Courtesy of Keith Watkins
There were seven presenters who each gave a concise background on who they are and what they do. The presenters were: Susan Trautman/CEO Great Rivers Greenway; Mike Ward/Deputy Regional Director, National Park Service; Dru Buntin/Director, Missouri Department of Natural Resources; Dr. Sam Page/St. Louis County Executive; Grace Kyung/Mayor Jones’ Office City of St. Louis; Pamela Boyd/Alderwoman of the 13th Ward and Clem Hamilton/Chain of Rocks Community Association.
Courtesy of Keith Watkins
Great Rivers Greenway became a steward of the Chain of Rocks bridge in 2015 because of a need to preserve the bridge, anchor the Mississippi Greenway and make sure that the residents and visitors have access to this great public green space. The bridge has been owned by the City of Madison since 1939 and is part of the Route 66 by-way and served many travelers until it closed in 1970.
The residents of St. Louis would like to thank the City of Madison Illinois as well as the Metro East Parks & Recreation District for their partnership with Great Rivers Greenway to allow this project to come into fruition. At the grand opening of the Chain of Rocks Bridge there were over one hundred bike riders that traversed the bridge.
Dru Buntin, Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, stated, “We appreciate how Great Rivers Greenway has worked to make the St. Louis region a more vibrant place to live, work and play by developing a world class network of greenways to explore and enjoy.” Mr. Buntin further went on to say that each of these greenways is unique in such a way that they use outdoor space to connect people and places.
Many St. Louisans have fond memories of not only the Chain of Rocks bridge but also of the amusement park that occupied the area southwest of the bridge’s entrance. Today, where the amusement park used to be will now be a beautiful park for the public to enjoy. The new green space provides many ecological benefits to the area in addition to the recreational benefits that are obvious. All the people who helped with the development of Chain of Rocks Park are very excited to share with visitors the restored wetlands, woodlands and prairie. This area is a major habitat stop on the Mississippi Greenway. About forty percent of the nation’s migratory birds stop here at the Chain of Rocks area.
Courtesy of Keith Watkins
The Great Rivers Greenway Project at the Chain of Rocks bridge links two communities, two states and people who love to be outdoors who love to explore the St. Louis region. This event took place from 2pm to 4pm CST. It was a great turnout, everyone enjoyed themselves and every spot in the parking lot was filled.
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