Cape Girardeau County - What's the perfect gift for the person who has everything?  A bridge!  Looking for something unique for the backyard? How about a bridge!

The historic Route 51 Bridge over Little Whitewater Creek in Bollinger County and the Route 61 Bridge over Hughes Creek in Cape Girardeau County are available for relocation and reuse by others.

Any interested party is encouraged to submit a proposal no later than June 2, 2014 to the Missouri Department of Transportation Historic Preservation Section to obtain either structure.

Slated for replacement in 2015, these bridges can be obtained by government entities, historical or civic groups, or private citizens, free of charge. Details about both bridges can be viewed online at http://www.modot.org/freebridges/. Anyone interested in obtaining a historic bridge must submit a detailed proposal describing the dismantling and relocation plan, cost and future use. A proposal checklist is available online.

The 1922 Route 51 Bridge is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the earliest surviving standard plan pony truss bridges for the combination of unequal size trusses.

The Route 61 Bridge is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as an early example of State highway Department standard truss design and as an example of the reuse of trusses as the highway system developed in the 1920s and 1930s.

For more information about the bridges, please contact Karen Daniels, Senior Historic Preservation Specialist at (573) 526-7346 or Karen.Daniels@modot.mo.gov.