UP Kansas River Bridge (Kansas City, North)

View an article about the construction of this bridge

Located immediately north of Interstate 70 in Kansas City, this large through truss bridge crosses the Kansas River near its mouth with the Missouri River. The first bridge at this location was built in the 1880s, and consisted of three wood and iron truss spans, set onto cylinder piers. The bridge eventually became jointly owned by the Chicago Great Western Railway and the Missouri Pacific Railway. In May 1903, that bridge would be destroyed by the Flood of 1903, which destroyed numerous bridges in Kansas City.

Work quickly began to replace the bridge, and three 200-foot, 8-panel Pratt through truss spans would be constructed, approached by an 80-foot through plate girder span on the north end. The entire bridge would be set onto concrete substructures, constructed by the Kahman-McMurray Company of Kansas City, Missouri. The steel was fabricated by the Pennsylvania Steel Company, and erection was contracted to the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company. The bridge would be completed in March 1904. The truss spans would feature built up vertical members and a double intersection lattice portal. The through girder span would utilize a rounded edge and open deck, typical for Missouri Pacific bridges.

Several alterations have been made to this bridge since it was first constructed. The bridge has been raised approximately 8 feet since it was first constructed, mainly in the years following the initial construction. In 1922, King Bridge Company was contracted to construct a new truss span on the south end of the bridge. This new span would be a 246-foot, 9-panel, riveted spread and flared Warren through truss span, set onto a new concrete abutment. Further alterations were made in approximately 1940, when two 17-foot concrete slab spans were added to the north end of the bridge, and set onto concrete pile substructures.

The 246-foot span is a unique example of a spread through truss. A spread through truss occurs when one portal is wider than the other. Often, such as with this bridge, these spans can be seen in conjunction with a flare, or where one side of the truss is wider than the other. These types of spans were utilized where the railroad sharply curved. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unique truss design.