Local and Route 66 officials attended the rededication of the century-old Marsh Arch Bridge, also known as the Rainbow Bridge, near Baxter Springs, Kansas.
State and county officials, plus members of the Route 66 Association of Kansas and the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, representatives from Galena and Baxter Springs and local business owners attended the ceremony on Friday.
Here are photos from the event:
The paint removal was done by JT’s Pro Pressure Washing of nearby Joplin, Missouri. The structure also received epoxy, sealer and long-term paint to help preserve it for many more years.
The county received a $25,000 Attraction Development grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce to help pay for the refurbishment.
The county also designated $112,500 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the bridge’s maintenance.
The bridge was closed to traffic for about three weeks while the work was performed.
The Marsh Arch Bridge marked its 100th anniversary in December 2023.
In the mid-1990s, local preservationists persuaded official to preserve the bridge, with a new bridge and a new section of road built just east of the span.
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