By 1978, the railroad line over the span was closed, and an additional set of lanes was opened for vehicles in the inner roadway.

It is commonly assumed that the bridge was named for President William McKinley; but in reality, it was named for the builder, William B. McKinley, chief executive of the Illinois Traction System interurban electric railway, which accessed St. Louis via the bridge.

[citation needed] As a result, the City of St. Louis foreclosed on the bridge, delaying reconstruction efforts further.

In an agreement reached in June 2003, the states of Illinois and Missouri agreed to take over ownership of the bridge from the city of Venice.

[7] However, the date was pushed back due to the addition of The Great Rivers Greenway Bikeway tie-in.