MKT 11th Street Bridge (Coffeyville)

Coffeyville, Montgomery County, Kansas

Default pic
South abutment
Date stamp
Under bridge
North abutment
Looking north
Overview
Looking north
Overview
Overview
Plaque

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Default Pic
South abutment
Date stamp
Under bridge
North abutment
Looking north
Overview
Looking north
Overview
Overview
Plaque
1/11
Date Taken:
Author:
Caption:
Name MKT 11th Street Bridge (Coffeyville)
Built By Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Superstructure Contractor Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of North Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Length 80 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 14 Feet 7 Inches
Superstructure Design Through Plate Girder
Substructure Design Concrete
Date Built 1910
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned)
Current Status Abandoned
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date 10/28/2017

In 1887, the Parsons & Pacific Railroad (P&P) constructed 31 miles of new railroad, extending between Parsons, Kansas and Coffeyville, Kansas.  The following year, an additional five miles would be constructed to Dewey, Oklahoma.  The railroad was acquired by the Kansas & Pacific Railroad in 1887, which was merged into the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway (MKT) in 1899.  The MKT had acquired and constructed a sizable system in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas.  In Between 1901 and 1904, the Missouri, Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (MK&O) constructed an additional 349 miles between Dewey and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  The MK&O was consolidated into the MKT in 1904.  This route became one of the major mainlines for the MKT, connecting industries throughout Oklahoma and southern Kansas.  Flooding damaged bridges along the route in 1973, and the entire route would be abandoned.

Located in Coffeyville, this through girder bridge once carried the MKT over 11th Street (US Highways 166/169). Built in 1910, the bridge consists of a single 80-foot through plate girder span, set on concrete abutments that were constructed the year before. The bridge is located immediately west of the Santa Fe bridge. The girder was fabricated by the Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company, which fabricated dozens of bridges for the MKT. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. While a majority of the line was abandoned in the 1970s, it appears that this bridge was still in use until the 1990s. The bridge is now closed to all traffic, and its future uncertain. It is believed that the bridge continues to be owned by Union Pacific Railroad, the successor to the MKT. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Citations

Builder and build date Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company plaque
Railroad History Citation ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele