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Katy Trail Turkey Creek Bridge

Warren Through Truss Bridge over Turkey Creek
Near Cedar City, Callaway County, Missouri

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Katy Trail Turkey Creek Bridge
Built By Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway
Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Length 130 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Warren Through Truss
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1926
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail)
Current Status Rails to Trails
Katy Trail Bridge Number 10
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date June 2016


Located at Cedar City, this massive through truss bridge carries the Katy Trail across Turkey Creek. Cedar City is just across the Missouri River from Jefferson City, and bridge is right next to Callaway County Road 391.
Built in 1926, the bridge features a massive Warren Through Truss bridge, featuring 6 panels, riveted connections and a lattice style portal. The bridge rests on concrete substructures.
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 one, American Bridge Company seems to have built the rest.
One of the most unusual features of this bridge is the major damage to sway bracing on one panel. It appears that a tall load shifted and stuck the bracing.
Despite this strike damage, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no major deteriorations noted.

The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
The photo above is a deck view, looking west. The author hopes to return to this bridge for better photos.

Citations

Source Type

Source

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