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| Name | RI - Manchester Trafficway Bridge |
| Built By | Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Jackson County |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Substructure Contractor | List & Weatherly Construction Company of Kansas City, Missouri |
| Length | 355 Feet Total, 80 Foot Largest Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder, Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Concrete, Steel Bent and Timber Pile |
| Date Built | c. 1929, Extended 1955 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned) |
| Current Status | Abandoned |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 2/25/2017 |
In 1888, the Kansas City Rock Island Railway (KCRI) constructed 16 miles of new railroad, extending from Forsyth Junction to Creve Coeur, Missouri. At the same time, the St. Louis, Kansas City and Colorado Railroad (StLKC&C) extended the line to Union, Missouri. Between 1902 and 1904, the StLKC&C would construct a line from Union to Strasburg, Missouri; where it connected to a line constructed by the KCRI the same year. Both railroads were merged into the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway in 1905. The Rock Island had acquired and constructed a network of railroads throughout the Midwest, and this line served to connect the two largest cities in Missouri, and expand the reach of the Rock Island into St. Louis. After World War II, the Rock Island struggled to survive, proposing mergers and deferring maintenance on their routes. The Rock Island struggled to compete with a stronger and better constructed Union Pacific system. By 1964, the Rock Island began attempts to merge with Union Pacific, and restructure railroads west of the Mississippi River. This merger was eventually denied, and Rock Island turned its last profit in 1965. In the mid-1970s, the railroad was in serious decline. The railroad received loans to attempt to fix slow orders, received new equipment and turn a profit. By 1978, the railroad came close to profit, but creditors were lobbying for a complete shutdown of the Rock Island. During the fall of 1979, a strike crippled the railroad, and by January of 1980, the entire system was ordered to be shut down and liquidated. Many of the lines and equipment were scrapped. Profitable sections of railroad were prepared for sale. This line was sold to the St. Louis & Southwestern Railway (S&SW) in 1980. No trains ever operated over much of this route under the S&SW, and trains were limited to a short segment to Owensville, Missouri. and the S&SW was merged into the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) in 1992. SP became part of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1996. UP sold the line west of Union to Amaren, a utility company in 1996, and leased the remainder to the Central Midland Railway. A portion in Jackson and Cass County, Missouri was converted to the Rock Island Trail in 2016, and the remainder of the line from Windsor to Union was donated to Missouri State Parks in 2019. Development of the trail is ongoing. The Missouri Eastern Railroad now operates the segment to Union.
Located near Leeds Junction in Kansas City, this through and deck plate girder bridge carries the abandoned Rock Island over the CPKC (former Kansas City Southern Railway) and Manchester Trafficway. It is believed the bridge was originally constructed in approximately 1929, when the KCS constructed their Grandview Cutoff. The northern portion of the bridge consists of a 30-foot and an 80-foot through plate girder span, set onto a concrete abutment, steel bent and concrete pier. The original bridge was approached by wooden trestle spans on the south end. The through girder spans have tapered edges, typical for Rock Island through girder spans. In 1955, the bridge was extended when Manchester Trafficway was constructed. Two 55-foot and one 30-foot deck plate girder spans would be installed, with a new concrete pier constructed at the south end of the bridge. The remaining piers were constructed of timber piles, and timber pile trestle spans connect the two steel sections of this bridge. The spans over Manchester Trafficway run at a significant skew, and utilize a standard Rock Island design. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The future of the bridge is uncertain. It is currently owned by Jackson County, which constructed the Rock Island Trail on portions of the line south of here. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date (south spans) | Railway Age; Volume 137, Issue 14 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |