Missouri is Giving Away this Historic Bridge if You Want It
It's not April 1, is it? I've confirmed it isn't. The reason I'm checking is Missouri is trying to giveaway a historic bridge. I've confirmed that it isn't April Fool's Day and you really can have it if you want it.
This Missouri bridge giveaway began as a post on the Missouri sub-Reddit page. It was the picture of a poster which said "Free historic bridge, you pay the cost to move. Contact info on flyer". That led me to the Missouri Department of Transportation website which confirms the free historic bridge thing is real. Here's the legal mumbo jumbo:
When Missouri bridge projects require the removal of historic bridges, the Missouri Department of Transportation or its local transportation partners must make them available for use by others. Federal law requires any state proposing demolition of a historic bridge involved in a bridge replacement project using federal funds to “first make the historic bridge available for donation to a State, locality, or responsible private entity” provided the recipient agrees to maintain the bridge and the features that give it historic significance and assume all future legal and financial responsibility for the bridge [see 23 USC 144(g)].
They specifically mention that the Morton Bridge in Ray County is now free. It was built in 1889. According to the Missouri Department of Transportation website, this bridge is eligible for listing with the National Register of Historic Places. 3 tons of history could be yours if you can move it. About that moving part...MODOT says it's 162 feet long, with a 102 foot span so probably won't fit in the back of your mini-van.