Those who know me well, know that I am fascinated with Route 66, so this cake was one of my favorites to find. Old Chain of Rocks Bridge began construction in 1927 from both sides (Saint Louis, MO and Madison, IL) and opened to the public in July of 1929. The bridge is a mile long and has a 30 degree curve in the middle, a curve made necessary by boatmen trying to navigate this rocky section of the Mississippi. The bridge became part of Route 66 in 1936, when the highway was rerouted. In 1967, New Chain of Rocks Bridge, part of Interstate 270, opened just 2000 feet north of the old bridge, causing the old bridge to close in 1968. There was talk of demolishing the bridge in the 1970's, but a plummet in the value of scrap steel saved the bridge from destruction. During the 1980's a group called Trailnet began to clean up and restore the bridge. The bridge reopened to the public as part of the Route 66 Bikeway in 1999 and is now connected to more than 300 miles of trails on both sides of the river.
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