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Katy Trail Middle River Bridge

Warren Through Truss Bridge over Middle River
Near Tebbetts, Callaway County, Missouri

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Katy Trail Middle River Bridge
Built By Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway
Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Length 150 Feet Total, 125 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Warren Through Truss and Trestle
Substructure Type Concrete and Timber Pile
Date Built 1926
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status Rails to Trails
Katy Trail Bridge Number 13
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date June 2016


Located near Tebbetts, this large through truss bridge carries the Katy Trail across the Middle River alongside Missouri Highway 94.
Built in approximately 1926, the bridge consists of a Warren Through Truss bridge, featuring 6 panels, riveted connections and a lattice style portal. The bridge rests on stone substructures, and is approached by trestle on the east side.
Along the Katy Trail, there are numerous identical Warren Through Truss spans, all built in 1926-1927. Oddly, these spans were fabricated by three different companies. While Mt. Vernon Bridge Company built one and Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company built two, American Bridge Company seems to have built the rest.
Unlike many bridges along this route, this bridge features stone piers and trestle approaches. It is likely that this bridge was built to replace an earlier 1890s truss span.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no major deterioration noted.

The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Cultural Resources Inventory of Katy Trail
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele