I crossed the Mississippi into Missouri on Interstate I270 which runs just north of the Chain of Rocks bridge as the more Southerly route was not available (the bridge over the Mississippi was being repaired). I’d already had decided to skip St. Louis, which I’d visited before, and instead head west to the open (and mostly empty) road.

This is a typical scene from Route 66 across Missouri (and many other states), these bridges occur all over with multiple units being used to cross wider obstacles.

Another typical scene from Route 66 across Missouri. The buildings just visible on the right were intact but, like so many on the road, no longer in use.

You may notice the distinct lack of traffic in both of the above photographs. This wasn’t the result of carefully timing the shot, there really was next to no traffic on the road.

As a result of a bit of bad planning I reached the Devils Elbow just after it had got dark so I could not see the loop in the  road that had a reputation for serious accidents (the 200 foot drop to  the river probably didn’t help!).  The actual Devils Curve is the loop in the river where logjams used to occur.

But no time for regrets, about 2,000 miles to go.

As mentioned earlier Route 66 in Missouri largely runs through open countryside with a profusion of deserted roadways, derelict or abandoned buildings and numerous bridges.  The photos earlier on this page are typical of what you see along the road.

In addition Missouri did not seem to have fully accepted the tourist value of Route 66 so there were comparatively few route signs and historical markers.

Time to to slip into Kansas

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