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Lindsborg Trail Bridge

Quadrangular Through Truss Bridge over Smoky Hill River
Lindsborg, McPherson County, Kansas

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Lindsborg Trail Bridge
Built By Union Pacific Railroad
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Length 310 Feet Total, 140 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Quadrangular Through Truss and I-Beam
Substructure Type Steel and Timber Pilings
Date Built Ca. 1900
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned)
Current Status Rail to Trails
UP Bridge Number 181.12
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date October 2017


This single span Quadrangular Through Truss bridge crosses the Smoky Hill River River in the town of Lindsborg.
The bridge features a single span with riveted connections.
While similar to other Union Pacific trusses trusses in the area, this design of truss is relatively rare in Kansas and Missouri.
Built in approximately 1900, the bridge has had little alteration since construction. The one alteration is the replacement of the original trestle approaches with several I-Beam Spans.
This alteration likely occurred in the 1950s.
The bridge rests on timber pile substructures, and is easy to access from the trail it carries.
The bridge remains in great condition and is well maintained, and has since become part of the Valkommen Trail.

The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the low number of Quadrangular Trusses in the region.
The photo above is looking north across the bridge.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Estimated based on identical spans
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele