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| Name | CPKC Prospect Avenue Bridge |
| Built By | Kansas City Southern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 210 Feet Total, 40 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder and Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete, Steel Tower and Steel Bent |
| Date Built | 1914 |
| Traffic Count | 20 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 2/25/2017 |
In 1891, the Kansas City, Nevada & Fort Smith Railroad (KCN&FS) completed 45 miles of new railroad, extending from Grandview, Missouri to Amoret, Missouri. Later the same year, an additional 12 miles were completed to Hume, Missouri. An additional 74 miles to Joplin, Missouri were completed in 1893, extending through Pittsburgh, Kansas. By the fall of 1893, the railroad had completed an additional 51 miles to Sulphur Springs, Arkansas. The same year, the railroad was reorganized as the Kansas City, Pittsburgh & Gulf Railroad (KCP&G). In 1894, 24 additional miles were completed to Siloam Springs, Arkansas; and an additional 24 miles to Stillwell, Oklahoma were completed in 1895. An additional 127 miles to Mena, Arkansas were completed in 1896. By 1898, a 16 mile branch line to Fort Smith, Arkansas would be constructed. To reach Kansas City, the railroad utilized trackage rights over the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. By 1900, the KCP&G would be consolidated into the Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS). The KCS was a bridge railroad, connecting railroads in the southern United States to the railroad hub of Kansas City. This line made up the principal mainline of the KCS, and provided a critical connection between the Midwest and the Gulf of Mexico. By the early 1920s, the arrangement of using the Frisco tracks into Kansas City had become undesirable, and the Kansas City & Grandview Railroad was charted to construct from Grandview to Leeds, near the present day stadium complex. The line was completed in late 1929, and gave the KCS complete ownership of a line from Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico. During the 20th Century, the KCS continued to grow, eventually obtaining a railroad line through Mexico in the 1990s. In 2023, the KCS was merged with Canadian Pacific Railway to form CPKC, the current owner of this line. From Kansas City to Pittsburgh is currently operated as the Pittsburgh Subdivision, and from Pittsburgh to Heavener, Oklahoma is operated as the Heavener Subdivision. This route now forms the backbone of the CPKC system, and traffic is expected to increase significantly over the coming years.
Located on the northwest side of Belton, this girder bridge carries the CPKC mainline over Prospect Avenue. The St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco) once ran a branch line underneath this bridge. The first bridge at this location was likely a wooden trestle with a girder main span. In 1914, the bridge was rebuilt with the present bridge. The bridge consists of a 40-foot and a 20-foot through plate girder span, approached by two 30-foot deck plate girder spans on the north side and two 45-foot deck plate girder spans on the south side. The 20-foot through plate girder span is set onto a steel tower. The remaining substructures of the bridge consist of steel bents and concrete abutments. The through girder spans use a shallow design, likely due to the smaller length. In addition, these girders utilize tapered edges. It is unknown why a tower was constructed for the shorter through girder span, although it may have been related to the angle which the Frisco crossed below. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. The Frisco line underneath was abandoned sometime in the 1940s. A second parallel concrete girder bridge was constructed along the east face of the bridge in approximately 2000. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date | The Southwestern Reporter, Volumes 193-194 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |