Kansas River Railroad Bridge No. 3
Photos
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View from bluff |
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Close-up of one span The structure in the foreground appears to be an abandoned overpass of some kind |
Facts
- Overview
- Pair of four-span through truss bridges over Kansas River on the Union Pacific Railroad, just south of the I-670 bridge
- Status
- Open to traffic
- History
- North bridge built 1909; south bridge built 1911
- Design
- Pratt through truss
South bridge has screw jack lifting system - Also called
- Missouri Pacific bridge (north bridge)
Union Pacific Intermodel bridge (south bridge) - Approximate latitude, longitude
- +39.09825, -94.61213 (decimal degrees)
39°05'54" N, 94°36'44" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Inventory number
- BH 18697 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- April 24, 2008: Updated by Max Johnson
- April 23, 2008: Updated by Max Johnson
- July 6, 2006: Posted new photos
Comments
Updating the info about the Cattle Bridge that was between Railroad Bridge 3 & 4, it was demolished in November of 1974.
The south bridge (UP) has a screw-jack lifting system, raising the bridge out of the path of floodwater. The jacks were last used in 1993. I don't recall when the jacks were installed; probably about the time the levees were built.
Evidently, UP never intended to raise the bridge, as they had installed continuous rail across the bridge. They had to cut the rail at each span in 1993 before lifting.
I have slides, somewhere, of the west end of the bridge in the lifted position, I believe the threads on the screw jacks are visible, too.
The abandoned overpass on the east end of the bridge was probably for cattle chutes from the old Kansas City Stockyards which were just south of this structure.
Between this bridge and Railroad Bridge No. 4, there was a cattle bridge from the Stockyards to the Swift & Company plant. That bridge was demolished in the late 60's, I think.
There are two bridges at this location.
The north bridge (first bridge upstream of I-670) was used by the Missouri Pacific.
The south bridge (second bridge upstream of I-670) was used by the Union Pacific.
Both are used by the Union Pacific at this time.