St. Louis, Missouri Bridge Retrofitted for Stronger Quake

One of the busiest Mississippi River bridges in the nation is prepared if a serious earthquake occurs.

Officials with the Missouri Department of Transportation tell KMOX Radio that the Poplar Street Bridge at downtown St. Louis has new, wider bases, steel jackets and metal crossbars on the elevated decks, allowing it to withstand up to a 6.5 magnitude quake.

MoDOT engineer Deanna Venker says an earthquake of that magnitude would cause problems, but the top and bottom decks wouldn’t collapse.

Many experts believe a major quake is likely within the next half-century along the New Madrid fault line centered in southeast Missouri.

Information from: KMOX-AM