Tried the new river walk on Sunday..... which allows a person to travel from Main street almost all the way to Paseo Boulevard along the Missouri River.
Above looking east toward the ASB Bridge, below looking west toward the Broadway Bridge. Old mooring post in the foreground below with wire rope still attached.
And yes, the Mighty Muddy Mo is Mighty Muddy. As Twain said: "too thick to swim in and too thin to walk on."
Above the ASB Bridge which stands for Armour (Packing Co.) Swift ( & Company) and Chicago, BURLINGTON (and Quincy Railroad). The piers were built in 1890 but sat unused until 1909 when construction of the rest of the bridge began. It consisted of two decks the upper for cars and trucks and the lower for trains. The bridge, as you can see, is very close to the surface of the water right now which is one reason why the center portion is counterweighted and can be raised. Bridge designers made it possible to do this without disturbing the top deck so traffic was not impeded. After the Heart of America Bridge was finished in 1987 the ASB's top deck was removed. It is a National Landmark in Civil Engineering and is owned now by the Burlington Northern Railroad. Note the pathway goes down under the bridge....on the right in the image. The path is handicap accessible and is for biking or walking.
Areas next to the trail have been planted with native grasses and other plants which should make it look a lot like it did when Lewis and Clark came by just after 1800.
Above, ASB on the left showing one of the massive piers. The piers were originally 9 stories tall in 1890 when completed but were lowered to just 10-feet over the high water mark.
Another view of the Bond Bridge looking east above and below the ASB and The Heart of America Bridges.
Below.... "adaptive reuse" sorta. An old administrative building which was in horrible shape has been stabilized and even has flower boxes in the windows.
To access the walkway you can take Grand down to Berkley Park and then walk west, or, park at the foot of Main, walk out on the tower and then down by stairs or elevator to the walkway.
I'd be a little scared walking down there. But the ASB bridge was my playground when I lived in Harlem. That, and the Missouri River itself, were the only things that made the move from the farm bearable.
ReplyDeleteNice work on both bridge posts. I love that Twain quote--LOL.
ReplyDeleteI have a technical question: do you use a filter or something to get your clouds and sky to pop like they do?
Where can I park to get to the river walk? Would it be safe to run on that trail alone?
ReplyDeleteGood fishing there? The old admin. building looks like a candidate for great gatherings and parties...
ReplyDeleteThe trail was full of people Sunday... bikers, families with strollers, solo runners ..... 3 female, 2 male.... it is very safe and very scenic. Observer, I sandwich up to seven negatives of the same shot into one to have detail in both the highs and the lows.... it's called HDR... or High Dynamic Range photography.
ReplyDeleteWhoops, forgot... never see fishermen/women along the banks... I do at Kaw Point... I'm not a fisherman myself but I imagine the swift current and muddiness of the water may have something to do with it. I do see private boats, speed and otherwise, all the time and saw a canoe on Sunday. Therese there is a large parking lot next to Berkley Park that you can use... or, at the foot of Main in the City Market there is plenty of parking on the street which is where I parked... there are tons of lofts and condos now down there so there are people around all the time.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! Have you considered photographing the MR340 races later this month?
ReplyDeletehttp://rivermiles.com/mr340/
http://rivermiles.com/mr340/page2.html
It would make for a good post.... what's better the start at Kaw Point or the herd as it goes by at Riverfront Park?
ReplyDeleteI really like the architecture at Riverfront Park, but you may get a lot of great shots at the start point as well.
ReplyDeleteMy family and I used to walk on that trail and felt completely safe.
ReplyDeleteSo how far west does it go? Last time I was down there (a year ago), it stopped rather abruptly. I'm assuming more of the trail has been added (?).
It goes west all the way to the foot of Main Street... where there is a tower which takes you up to street level by stairs or by elevator.
ReplyDelete