UP Arkansas River Bridge (Wichita)

Located on the south side of Topeka, this large truss bridge carries the former Rock Island across the Arkansas River. The previous bridge at this location was a wooden trestle, a cheap and easy to construct bridge to cross a wide, shallow river. In approximately 1965, a large 153-foot 4-inch 9-panel riveted double intersection Warren through truss would be installed to replace the center of the bridge. This span was fabricated in approximately 1910 at an unknown location. The bridge would again be rebuilt in approximately 1990, with a new south approach consisting of six 27-foot steel stringer spans, and the north approach consisting of eight 20-foot steel stringer spans. These spans would be set onto steel piles, typical of bridges from this era. The south approach spans utilize two beams per span, and appear to have been fabricated in approximately 1950 at an unknown location. The north approach spans utilize six beams per span, and at least one span was fabricated in 1909 by the American Bridge Company. Other spans have a faded green paint, possibly indicating use on a former Union Pacific bridge.

Railroads often relocated spans, as it was a cost effective way to reconstruct bridges. Often, when a bridge was inadequate at one location, it could feasibly be reused at another location, with or without repairs. The truss span is an unusual design, not typically found for railroad use in the Midwestern or Western United States. This particular truss utilizes massive members, heavy riveted connections and an A-frame portal. Little else is known about the history of this truss, or where it may have been reused from. Based on aerial imagery, it seems likely that this span was a Rock Island span, possibly located in the southern portions of the system. The beam spans may have been reused from any number of locations, on any number of railroads. Beam spans such as this were often kept by railroads as the bridge was removed or replaced, due to the versatility they presented. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unusual design. It is believed that this may be the only railroad double intersection Warren through truss in Kansas.