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Chipman Road Tunnel

Concrete Arch Bridge over Chipman Road
Lee's Summit, Jackson County, Missouri

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Chipman Road Tunnel
Built By Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
Contractor Stubbs-Flick-Johnson Construction Company of Kansas City
Currently Owned By Jackson County
Length 15 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 11 Feet
Superstructure Type Concrete Arch
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1904
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status Rails to Trails, Scheduled for Replacement
RI Bridge Number 275.5
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date October 2016


View an article regarding the construction of this route.

This single span concrete arch bridge is a prime example of early engineering along the Rock Island mainline adapted for modern use.
The bridge features a single 15 foot long closed spandrel concrete arch span. Chipman Road is considered to be a prime arterial through the area.
Due to the small size and large traffic volume, the bridge only can cross a single lane of traffic. Signals have been installed to help flow traffic through the area.
In 2019, the line became part of the Rock Island Trail after being abandoned for many years. However, plans continue to be in the works to replace this bridge with a new pedestrian bridge.

The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to a number of other concrete arches along the line; including one at nearby Frost Road.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Construction of line
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele