We were only in Missouri for one night and the next morning we continued on northeastward. Our route leaving Missouri into Illinois was crossing the Cairo Bridge on highway 62. What a mistake this was!
We crossed that bridge into Illinois which we soon realized no one driving a large RV or fifth wheel should ever drive across! I mean NEVER EVER!!! This cantilevered through truss bridge over the Mississippi River on U. S. Highway 60 / 62 between Birds Point, MO, and Cairo, IL is not meant for large rigs yet truckers cross it daily.
Each lane of the bridge is 10 feet wide but with the bridge trusses straight up from its edge it really leaves each lane with about 9 feet to work with. As we approached this white-knuckler bridge we prayed we see no Semi Trucks on the nearly mile long length.
Well we had no such luck and as we approached the truck I squeezed as far right as I thought humanly possible and when we passed the truck I’d be surprised if one could fit a thin dollar bill between our two mirrors. We are still shocked we didn’t lose a mirror on that bridge.
Now you think we would relax after crossing that bridge but noooooo… there is another bridge just like it crossing over the Ohio River leaving Illinois just a few miles after crossing the first one. The second was a clone of the first bridge but was even longer and the first half of it was under construction forcing us into a single lane!!!
Again we prayed to see no trucks but yet again we were denied our prayers. The first truck we passed we were again greatly relieved not to have hit mirrors with and then just before we were exiting the bridge another Semi-Truck was coming onto it it. There is a slight turn off the highway onto the bridge so when this truck came on its tail end was across the middle line in our lane.
I have absolutely no idea how we didn’t get side swiped only to surmise that we must have had our prayers answered after all. It took a good while after crossing these bridges before either of us could calm down. Be advised - DO NOT EVER CROSS THESE BRIDGES… I can’t even imagine what it would have been like if we didn’t have 10 years of RV driving experience behind us!
A few hours later we pulled into our next site at the KY Corps of Engineer Canal Campground in Grand Rivers, KY. We will be staying for three days and hopefully by the end of our stay we will forget about this horrifying experience…
NOTE: We are currently in the Shenandoah Valley near Woodstock Virginia until who knows when…
Heyduke, I know, it's like your skin starts crawling with fear, but somehow you know you have to get through it. Feel the same way about some of the old, old tunnels coming out of Tennessee on I-40 going toward North Carolina; we just put on our flashers to oncoming traffic and ride the highway center line through the low curved-ceiling tunnels. Maybe our new next leadership in Washington will tackle an infrastructure bill to replace those bridges and tunnels in our lifetime; it certainly would create jobs.
ReplyDeleteSometimes riding on the center line is the best option...
DeleteCorrection: My husband Beach said our problem was the annoyed traffic traveling east with us and attempting to pass us in the tunnels while we were riding the line for the left passing lane.
ReplyDeleteOh I remember it well. Crossing the one to Cairo with a F350 Dually and a 43 ft 5th wheel.
ReplyDeleteHow could you forget...
DeleteGood to hear you made it OK. I added that bridge to my avoid list.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Yes, avoid these if at all possible.
DeleteI truly dislike the narrow bridges and tunnels, when we come up to one it's Fran's turn to drive!
ReplyDeleteI knew I should have taught Sharon to drive...
DeleteGood thing you didn't have a cross wind to deal with too!
ReplyDeleteYou had better not ever take your rig on Highway 1 in Mexico's Baja California. The entire 1,000 mile road is narrow with little to no shoulder and tractor trailers and buses coming at you all the time. Many an RV mirror have been lost on that highway!
Yes most surely... Also, no sooner than when we got off the second bridge it started raining pretty hard, glad it waited...
DeleteThese situations pop up on you every once in a while, usually with no warning. Like Kevin says, Mexico is rife with them and the semi drivers never give you a break. Another bad road is one of the connectors north of the Golden Gate Bridge to the seaside route. They wait until you are well onto the road before telling you of the 35 foot length limit because of the twisting road and very sharp turns! After the sign there are NO turnarounds, you are committed. It might have been Hwy 128, I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteYes we have encountered these too, one I remember vividly in VT or NH...
DeleteWhen we camp at our favorite lake, Alan tows the camper and I tow the boat. Having been surprised by the restricted space in a major highway construction zone one summer, I insisted we take the long way around until the project was completed two years later. Those dangerously tight spaces scare the life out of me, so I truly understand your heart-pounding angst. Glad you made it safely to your destination and that all is well!
ReplyDeleteYes, even scarier for those of us driving our homes!
DeleteI'll make sure and miss this crossing. RVtripwizard route planner takes me north of there and then back south - presumably to avoid that bridge.
ReplyDeleteSo we took a drive to Kansas City for a couple weeks without the trailer. Decided to take the US 60 route back through Poplar Bluff towards Nashville just to drive over these bridges (and see some new country side). Wow, they are concerning...
ReplyDeleteI'd like to steal one of your photos on the bridge with the porta-pot for my next blog post if that's okay?