What quirky incident happened during the construction of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1965?

During the final stages of the Gateway Arch’s construction in 1965, a very peculiar problem arose: the two legs of the arch were almost too far apart to connect! Engineers knew the structure would expand and contract due to temperature changes, so they had to calculate precisely when to insert the final piece. Unfortunately, a sudden temperature drop caused the legs to shrink slightly, leaving them just a smidge out of alignment. To solve the problem, workers brought in industrial heaters to warm the legs, making the metal expand enough to close the gap. This ingenious solution worked, and the final piece was secured on October 28, 1965. Today, the Gateway Arch stands as a testament to human ingenuity—and to how sometimes a little extra warmth can solve even the toughest engineering problems.