Alton Illinois 1.11

Alton Illinois 1.11, originally uploaded by RMStringer.

Taken with the "Sony 18-70mm"

Often called the "Super Bridge," the Clark Bridge links Highways 367 and 67 in Missouri to Alton, Illinois. It replaced the old Clark Bridge that served the area from 1928 to 1994. Design work on the new cable-stayed bridge was started in 1985, and construction began in 1990.

The bridge, which has four traffic lanes and two bike lanes, spans 4,260 feet across the Mississippi River. It is made of 8,100 tons of structural steel, 44,100 cubic yards of concrete and more than 160 miles of cable wrapped with four acres of yellow plastic piping. Pilings that support the bridge were driven more than 140 feet below bedrock.

Design criteria based on wind testing and geological studies were used to help make the bridge earthquake resistant. Total cost of the bridge was 118 million dollars, including the demolition of the old bridge.

Exposure: 10 sec (10)
Aperture: f/5
Focal Length: 26 mm
ISO Speed: 100