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| Name | UP Haswell Drive Bridge Missouri Pacific Railroad Bridge #4639 |
| Built By | Missouri Pacific Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 170 Feet Total, 27 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Steel Stringer and Concrete Slab |
| Substructure Design | Concrete Pile |
| Date Built | c. 1940 |
| Traffic Count | 10 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Missouri Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 4639 |
| Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 463.90 |
| Significance | Minimal Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/7/2019 |
In 1876, the Missouri River Railroad (MR) constructed a 25 mile 5-foot 6-inch gauge railroad from Kansas City to Leavenworth, Kansas. A 21 mile extension to Atchison, Kansas was made in 1869 by the Leavenworth, Atchison and North Western Railway (LA&NW) in 1869, and the MR converted to standard gauge the same year. Both railroads were merged into the Kansas City, Leavenworth and Atchison Railway (KCL&A) in 1880. The KCL&A was merged with several railroads later the same year to form Missouri Pacific Railway (MP). In 1881, the Missouri Pacific Railway Company of Kansas completed an additional 48 miles to the Kansas/Nebraska border, and the Missouri Pacific Railway Company of Nebraska completed an additional 101 miles to Papillion, Nebraska, near Omaha. Both railroads were promptly merged into the MP. In 1892, the Omaha Belt Railway constructed an additional 13 miles into Omaha. MP had amassed a large collection of railroad lines, particularly in Missouri and Kansas. The Omaha Belt would be sold to MP in 1910. The MP would be reorganized in 1909 and again 1917, becoming the Missouri Pacific Railroad. This line served as the primary connection to Omaha for the MP, and also allowed for additional branch lines to be constructed. The MP was merged into the Union Pacific Railroad in 1982. Today, UP continues to operate the route between Kansas City and Omaha as the Falls City Subdivision. Portions of the line in Omaha were abandoned during the 1980s and 1990s.
Located on the north edge of Plattsmouth, this steel stringer bridge crosses an unnamed creek and Haswell Drive. Built in approximately 1940, the bridge consists of a single 27-foot steel stringer span, approached by six 20-foot concrete slab spans on the south end and one 20-foot slab span on the north end. The entire bridge is set onto concrete pile substructures. This design of bridge was commonly used by the Missouri Pacific, as it was cheap to construct and durable. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being minimally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |