Located just west of downtown Independence, this through girder bridge crosses 18th Street.
Originally built in 1925 as a double track bridge, the second track was removed at a later date. The bridge currently consists of a pair of through plate girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. The pier of the bridge consists of a stylish arch design.
This style bridge was commonly used for grade separations, due to the ease of construction. Typically, a bypass would be built around the site as the bridge was constructed.
As trains became more frequent and faster, medium and large cities oftentimes advocated for railroads to construct grade separations at major streets.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no significant deterioration noted.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.