This massive through truss bridge is the western of the two bridges in Topeka. The Eastern Bridge still exists, and is located on the other side of Topeka Boulevard.
The bridge features six very similar spans. However, there are some very fundamental differences in these spans.
The original bridge here was an 1880s quadrangular truss bridge, which was original to the line. Unfortunately, the Kansas (Kaw) River is very notorious for flooding. In 1903, the original truss bridge was knocked out.
As a result, the Rock Island rebuilt the span with a series of new spans. 6 new spans were built onto concrete piers. These spans were 6-panel, pin connected Warren Through Trusses, featuring a standardized design for the Rock Island.
These spans remained intact, until 1951. The northern three spans of this bridge would be destroyed in a July flood. These spans still sit at the bottom of the Kansas River.
In response, the Rock Island would bring in some temporary spans, which would be destroyed later that fall. A permanent fix required bringing in three new spans.
These new spans were identical to the old ones in many ways, but were still different in terms of technical design. These new spans featured riveted connections instead of the old pinned connection type design. Otherwise, these spans were identical to the old ones in nearly every way.
These spans were likely relocated from another location, and built originally in the mid to late 1900s.
One plausible theory for the original location of these spans is at Brighton, Iowa. These spans were removed shortly after 1945 and could have been kept as spare parts.
The most recent alteration of the bridge was the addition of the flood jacks after the 1951 flood. These have only been used a handful of times, most recently in 1993.
Since the flood, the bridge has seen no other structural alterations.
The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant due to the addition of the relocated spans and flood jacks, which make this bridge highly unique.
The remains of the spans lost in 1951 can still be seen in the river today. The photo above is an overview. I hope to get back to this bridge for some more detailed photos in the near future.
| Upstream | Headwaters at Confluence of Republican and Big Blue Rivers |
| Downstream | Topeka Rail Bridge (E) |