KCS Kansas River Bridge

Located between the Central Avenue and James Avenue bridges, this large through truss bridge once carried the Kansas City Southern across the Kansas River. The first bridge at this location was built in 1895, and is believed to have utilized a wooden truss bridge. In 1901, the bridge would be rebuilt using three 198-foot pin-connected Pratt through truss spans, set onto concrete piers. The 1901 bridge was designed by Waddell & Hedrick, and the steel was fabricated by American Bridge Company. During the Flood of 1903, the bridge was washed out and carried downstream, but the truss spans were apparently not damaged in the flood. Work was completed soon after to reset the spans onto new piers.

By 1916, the minimum channel width for bridges across the Kansas River had changed, and the old truss bridge had become too light for traffic. In response, the Kansas City Southern contracted with Waddell & Son to design a new bridge. The new bridge featured two 300-foot, 11-panel riveted Parker through trusses, approached by a unique 235-foot, 8-panel riveted Warren through truss span on the west end. The entire bridge would be raised, and new concrete piers constructed. The steel for the new bridge was also fabricated by American Bridge Company, and the substructures were constructed by the Kansas City Bridge Company. Further alterations were made to the bridge in approximately 1955, when a steel stringer span was added to the east end of the bridge, and the bridge was raised approximately 8 feet. These alterations were made in response to the devastating flood of 1951.

The main trusses of the bridge are both massive spans, utilizing built up members, riveted connections and A-frame portals. Parker spans were occasionally used for medium to long length truss spans, although riveted Parker spans are less common than pin-connected spans. A Parker through truss span is defined by the polygonal top chord, and truss members which resemble a Pratt design. Typically, a Pennsylvania or Baltimore through truss would have been used in this era for spans of this size. The western span is a Warren span, typically used throughout the 20th Century for medium length truss spans. This span also utilizes built up members, riveted connections and an M-frame portal. The western span utilizes a "spread" or flared design, where one end is wider than the other. This unique feature was typically for bridges which required a curve or skew, such as this bridge.

As railroad facilities were consolidated throughout Kansas City, this bridge became unnecessary by the 1980s and would be abandoned. Aerial imagery suggests the tracks at the east end of the bridge were disconnected in approximately 1983, while the tracks across the bridge were removed in the late 1980s. Prior to abandonment, significant repairs had been made to the bridge, including the apparent replacement of the stringers. Since the abandonment, the bridge has stood unused, and its future is uncertain. It is hoped that the bridge can be reused as part of a trail system in the area. 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 use of large and unusual truss spans.