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| Name | BNSF MO-5 Bridge Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge #346D |
| Built By | Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 34 Feet Total |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 13 Feet 11 Inches |
| Superstructure Design | Steel Stringer |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1934 |
| Traffic Count | 60 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Number | 346D |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 346.6 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 8/26/2017 |
In 1873, the Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern Railway (CP&SW) began construction on 52 miles of new railroad, extending from Pekin to Pekin Junction, Illinois and from Eureka, Illinois to Ancona, Illinois. At the same time, the Chicago & Illinois River Railroad (C&IR) began construction on a 28 mile spur from Coal City, Illinois to Streator, Illinois, but work was soon ceased. The CP&SW purchased the incomplete line from Gorman to Streator, and connected it to Ancona. The CP&SW was purchased by the Chicago, St. Louis & Western Railroad in 1881, which constructed an additional 60 miles into Chicago, opening in 1884. The railroad was reorganized into the Chicago & St. Louis Railway (C&StL) in 1886. By the mid-1880s, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) was contemplating on extending their network from Kansas City, Missouri to Chicago, where the railroad could interchange with other large railroads. In 1887, the Chicago, California & Santa Fe Railway (CC&SF) began construction on 350 miles of new railroad, extending from Ancona to Sugar Creek Junction, near Kansas City. Work would be completed in 1888. The portion of the line from Ancona to Chicago would be reconstructed at this time to meet new standards.
The new line featured the most direct railroad route between the two cities, crossing the Mississippi River at Fort Madison, Iowa; and the Missouri River at Sibley, Iowa. The new line was leased to the ATSF in 1888, and fully absorbed into the ATSF in 1900. The line immediately became a core line for the ATSF, serving as part of the principal mainline (Chicago to Los Angeles) for the ATSF. During the first decade of the 20th Century, the Kansas City to Chicago line was extensively rebuilt for double track use. Due to dwindling traffic, the route from Ancona to Pekin was abandoned in 1983 and 1984. In 1996, the ATSF was merged into Burlington Northern Railroad to form BNSF Railway. Today, BNSF operates this line as the Chillicothe Subdivision and the Marceline Subdivision. The line continues to be one of the heaviest used railroad routes in the Midwest.
Located on the north side of Marceline, this steel stringer bridge crosses Missouri Route 5. Built in 1934 as a grade separation project to improve traffic and safety, the bridge consists of a single 34-foot steel stringer span, set onto concrete substructures. The bridge runs at a skew, and utilizes a ballast deck, typical of underpasses from this era. The bridge also contains several decorative features, including a concrete fascia and decorative concrete railings. This style of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable, easy to construct and provided aesthetic value. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with some deterioration noted throughout the concrete components of the bridge. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date | Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Records; Part of Railroad & Heritage Museum Fred M. and Dale M. Springer Archive; Temple, Texas |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |