Levee Gate
Cairo, Illinois
At the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, Cairo is subject to seasonal flooding, For this reason, it is completely enclosed by a series of levees and flood walls.
This large flood gate known as the "Big Subway Gate" was constructed by Stupp Brothers of St. Louis, Missouri in 1914. It closes over U.S. Highway 51 and weighs 80 tons, is 60 feet wide, 24 feet high, and five feet thick.
The railroad trestle in the foreground with the name "CAIRO" on it is not part of the Big Subway Gate.
Levee Gate
Cairo, Illinois
At the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, Cairo is subject to seasonal flooding, For this reason, it is completely enclosed by a series of levees and flood walls.
This large flood gate known as the "Big Subway Gate" was constructed by Stupp Brothers of St. Louis, Missouri in 1914. It closes over U.S. Highway 51 and weighs 80 tons, is 60 feet wide, 24 feet high, and five feet thick.
The railroad trestle in the foreground with the name "CAIRO" on it is not part of the Big Subway Gate.