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Sites to See    Fun to Do    Fishing    Boating    Golfing    Lake Dining    Shopping    Shows    Lodging    Request Info    Vacancy Search    Events Calendar    Lake History    Ozarks Facts    Ozarks Seasons    Real Estate    Relocate    Travel Info    Travel Maps LakeLinks.com 4935 Robin's Circle Osage Beach, MO 65065 P: 573-348-2275 F: 573-348-1696 info@lakelinks.com		The Original UPSIDE DOWN Bridge: By Mike Gillespie    Return to History Home The construction of the lake during the years 1929-31 necessitated many changes in the area. The future lake bed had to be cleared, towns and cemeteries moved, and roads realigned. The two major roadways in the region were Missouri Highway 5--a gravel road running south out of Versailles--and U.S. Highway 54, a paved road that cut the area diagonally from Eldon. Because Highway 54 was a federal route, it had priority in funding and design criteria. All changes to Route 54, including the construction of bridges, would take place before lake filled. Prior to the construction of Bagnell Dam, Route 54 had crossed the Osage River at the town of Bagnell, via a ferry boat. As it continued in a southwesterly course, it dropped into Watson Hollow, crossed the Grand Glaize River on a swinging bridge, climbed the ridge near Damsel, and then dropped again into the valley of Linn Creek. The waters of the lake would flood large segments of this alignment, so engineers began drawing new plans. Under the developing plans, Bagnell Dam would carry Route 54 over the Osage; the town of Bagnell would be sidestepped. The next major realignment would take place at the crossing of the Grand Glaize. The once small stream would now be a major tributary of the lake, and Watson Hollow would become a two-mile long cove. After examining the area, surveyors and engineers identified a favorable crossing of the Glaize valley located about three-quarters of a mile south of the confluence with the Osage. This location was a mile north of the old swinging bridge. Two reasons led to the choice of this site. First, it was a narrow crossing--about 1,600 feet; and, second, the projecting points on either side dropped away steeply. This second point was important because it allowed the bridge to be built higher without making it longer. This would save money and minimize the road grade as it climbed out of the valley on either side. The photo at left, taken in September, 1930, looks to the west. The piers were poured during the summer, and now the Warren truss spans are being assembled in place. (Note the temporary support scaffolding under the nearly finished segment.) To esthetically enhance the height of the bridge, the designers decided to erect the spans upside down. This would place the roadway some seventy feet above the lake level, and afford an umimpeded view of the tributary--and it could be done without reducing the load capacity of the bridge. Both the Niangua and Hurricane Deck Bridges, built some six years later, would feature similar designs, but since the Grand Glaize structure was the first high span in the area, it got the nickname of the Upside Down Bridge. The Upside Down Bridge cost about $400,000, and was finished in time for the lake to fill under it. Designed as a two lane stucture, the traffic demands of the late twentieth century rendered it obsolete. It was replaced about ten years ago by the new multi-lane Grand Glaize Bridge. © 2000 by Michael Gillespie. All rights reserved.

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