Submitted by Tisha Holden
JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site closed to the public starting at noon Dec. 24, 2024, to prepare for the bridge’s movement to Pershing State Park. Along with the historic site’s closure, the Locust Creek Boardwalk and Riparian Trail in the day-use area at Pershing State Park, closed starting at 8 a.m. Dec. 26.
The closures are in anticipation of moving the bridge from its current location to its new home in Pershing State Park. Before World War I, the bridge was once a link over Locust Creek on America’s first transcontinental road, Route 8. Cars gradually replaced horse-drawn wagons and buggies, and in 1930, U.S. Highway 36 replaced Route 8, and Locust Creek Covered Bridge would no longer house a transcontinental road.
Today, the road across Locust Creek Covered Bridge is not the only thing missing. Most of Locust Creek’s channel was straightened following World War II, leaving the bridge spanning a dry creek bed. Currently, Locust Creek Covered Bridge is in danger of being damaged beyond repair if actions are not taken due to the instability of the watershed. To preserve one of the last four remaining covered bridges in Missouri, the bridge will be moved to Pershing State Park and be placed over water once again.
The move to Pershing State Park, located at 29277 Highway 130 in Laclede, Missouri, is scheduled for the end of January to the first of February, depending on the weather. For more information, contact Pershing State Park at 660- 963-2299.
For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
