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| Name | Shoal Creek Interurban Bridge |
| Built By | Southwest Missouri Electric Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Private Owner |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 400 Feet Total, 80 Foot Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Closed Spandrel Concrete Arch |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1918 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned) |
| Current Status | Abandoned |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/28/2017 |
In 1893, the Southwest Missouri Electric Railway built an interurban line between Joplin and Carthage, Missouri. In 1896, another segment was built connecting to Galena, Kansas. A third route would be built as a secondary route between Joplin and Carthage in 1903. A fourth line would extend from Webb City to Alba, and a fifth line would extend from Galena to Picher, Oklahoma. While profitable, the interurban railway concept lost popularity to the automobile by the 1930s. The Webb City to Alba line was closed in 1927, the Joplin to Carthage line was abandoned in 1937, the Joplin to Galena line in 1938, and the line to Picher in 1939. Today, some remains of the interurban continue to exist, such as bridges and grading.
Located in the small town of Lowell, this large concrete arch bridge once carried the Southwest Missouri Electric Railway across Shoal Creek. Built in 1918 as the railroad extended the line towards Baxter Springs, the bridge features five 80-foot closed spandrel concrete arch spans, supported by concrete substructures. This style of bridge was commonly used by interurban railroads throughout the United States, as it provided an attractive and easy to construct bridge. When the interurban was abandoned, the bridge was left in place. It is believed that the bridge is now privately owned. This bridge is one of a number of concrete arch structures still in place from the Southwest Missouri Electric Railway. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the large scale use of concrete arches.
Citations
| Build date | Construction of line |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |