Located in Bellevue, this large through truss bridge is the third crossing of Kickapoo Creek on this line.
Built in 1902, the bridge originally consisted of a riveted Quadrangular Through Truss span with laced endposts and a trestle approach. However, the approach was replaced with nine I-Beam spans in 1941, which now serve as the south approach. Th bridge sits on concrete and steel pile substructures. The truss follows standard design, with A-Frame portals.
While nationally the Quadrangular design is uncommon, it was popular with midwestern railroads, particularly the Chicago & North Western.
While the C&NW had been building Lattice and Quadrangular trusses since the mid 1870s, this generation cemented the popularity of them, and they would be built new until the late 1920s.
Today, the bridge continues to serve as a Union Pacific secondary line. The bridge sits next to a BNSF bridge.
Overall, the bridge is in poor condition. Much of the bottom of the bridge has serious section loss. However, much of the upper portions of the truss appear to still be in fair condition. It is hoped that the deteriorated components will be replaced, instead of a complete truss replacement.
Historic photo of the bridge, used with permission from the Chicago & North Western Historical Society
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
The photo above is an overview.