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Kyle County Road 14 Bridge

Deck Plate Girder Bridge over County Road 14
Belleville, Republic County, Kansas

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Kyle County Road 14 Bridge
Built By Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
Contractor (East Span) American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By Kyle Railroad
Length 90 Feet Total, 65 Foot Largest Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Type Concrete
Date Built 1911, East Span Replaced 1940
Traffic Count 2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
RI Bridge Number 1928
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date January 2020


Located between Belleville and Scandia, this deck girder bridge crosses County Road 14, a muddy and poorly maintained road.
Date stamps and a plaque indicate the bridge was built in 1911, before the west span was replaced in 1940. The bridge consists of two deck plate girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. The bridge also makes use of an elongated abutment, typically found where the embankment is steep.
These types of spans were commonly used on bridges of all sorts, due to the ease of construction. It is unknown why the west span was replaced in 1940, but it appears that the east span is original from the 1911 bridge.
Accessing this bridge should be done with great care. The road is surfaced with slick mud, and the author made it less than 50 feet from US-36 before getting stuck and requiring a tow.
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.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Plaque
Contractor Plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele