EUREKA, Mo. – 5 On Your Side is taking a closer look at a 90-year-old bridge in Eureka that's been rated as one of the most dangerous in Missouri.
Despite the potential danger, nearly 1,000 cars drive across it each day, and experts say it's in dire need of replacement.
If you've ever gone to Six Flags, you've probably never noticed the small one lane Allenton Bridge just South of I-44.
But if you live in one of the nearly 400 homes on this side of the tracks, you know it well, and know it can be difficult to navigate during peak traffic times.
"It's been a problem for many years," said Brett Cox who has lived in the Ashton Woods neighborhood for about 5 years.
He crosses the Allenton Bridge to get to I-44 every day, "It's not in the best shape for sure."
You can just take one look, and see the bridge is just old he said, "You can see how the superstructure is crumbling and has exposed rebar."
And that's not the only exposed rebar on the bridge.
You can see the old bridge supports have been filled in, but there is still crumbling where the supports meet.
"None of this meets current standards, the railing, the ability of pedestrians to walk across the bridge," Cox said.
You can see daylight through the bridge wall.
A 2015 study rated this bridge as just two-percent sufficient.
"Vehicles tend to rub against the side of the bridge, they also have been known to rub against each other from time to time," he said.
And those aren't the biggest issues, with hundreds of homes on this side of the tracks, the nearest fire station is just across the interstate, but there's just one problem.
"The bridge itself is not wide enough for a fire truck to pass over."
On a morning like this, several cars could be stopped on the bridge at any given time, "But just the sheer weight of a fire truck getting ready to fight a fire-- as you can see the weight limit is ten tons."
Prop E is on the April third ballot in Eureka.
Voters will be asked to approve a half-percent sales tax for public safety along with bridge and road infrastructure.
If it passes, drivers near the bridge are hopeful some of that money will be used to either repair or replace it.
