SIKESTON - The historic U.S. Route 160 bridge over Bull Shoals Lake in Theodosia, Missouri is available for relocation and reuse by others. Any interested party is encouraged to submit a proposal no later than Jan. 9, 2026 to the Missouri Department of Transportation Historic Preservation Section to obtain the structure.
Slated for an upcoming improvement project, this bridge can be obtained by government entities, historical or civic groups, or private citizens, free of charge. Details about the bridge can be viewed online at 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 Bull Shoals Lake Bridge at Theodosia is a 1951, riveted, ten-span bridge with a total length of 1,816 feet. The bridge is comprised of (from west to east) ten 181-foot Camelback through truss spans. The bridge has concrete abutments, wingwalls and concrete column piers with web-walls. The deck is concrete with a bituminous surface.
The bridge was constructed under project SC(80) 3-A. Due to the impoundment from the Bull Shoals Dam, the federal government reimbursed the state for the cost of the bridge due to its necessity. The contract for the project was awarded on August 27, 1951 to the Maxwell Bridge Company of Columbus, Kansas. Stupp Brothers Bridge and Iron Company fabricated the trusses and the Army Corps of Engineers provided the steel for the bridge.
The bridge is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under criteria A and C for its significance in engineering for the multiple through truss configuration and for its association with the inundation of Bull Shoals Lake.
For more information about the bridge, please contact MoDOT’s Historic Preservation Section at (573) 526-4778, via email at co_historic_preservation@modot.mo.gov or visit www.modot.org/freebridges.
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