CPKC 18th Street Bridge (Independence)

Name	CPKC 18th Street Bridge (Independence) Chicago & Alton Railroad Bridge #479.6
Built By	Chicago & Alton Railroad
Currently Owned By	Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited
Superstructure Contractor	American Bridge Company of New York
Length	78 Feet Total, 39 Foot Spans
Width	1 Track, Substructures Built for 2
Height Above Ground	14 Feet 6 Inches
Superstructure Design	Through Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Concrete
Date Built	1925
Traffic Count	5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago & Alton Railroad Bridge Number	479.6
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Bridge Number	479.6
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	11/9/2019

In 1868, the Louisiana & Mississippi River Railroad (L&MR) began construction on a 51 mile route, extending from the Mississippi River at Louisiana, Missouri to Mexico, Missouri. Simultaneously, the St. Louis, Jacksonville & Chicago Railroad (StLJ&C) was constructing 38 miles of new railroad, extending from Roodhouse, Illinois to Louisiana. The route would be completed in 1873 with the completion of the Mississippi River bridge, and would form an extension of the Chicago & Alton Railroad (C&A) system. The C&A constructed and financed the route, in agreement to lease the newly completed railroad. In 1878, construction began on an additional 157 miles to Bridge Junction in Kansas City, Missouri. The extension was constructed by the Kansas City, St. Louis & Chicago Railroad (KCStL&C) under the same agreement as the remainder of the line. The C&A had constructed a modest network of lines throughout Illinois, and this route provided a western extension to Kansas City. The StlJ&C was sold to the C&A in 1899. Throughout the years, the C&A would be affiliated with several larger railroads, and the railroad primarily operated as a bridge route. The C&A was reorganized in 1901, and until 1906 was owned by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway. A portion from Rock Creek to Bridge Junction in Kansas City was sold to the Kansas City Terminal Railway in 1916. In 1931, the C&A would be reorganized as the Alton Railroad (A), a subsidiary of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The Alton was sold to the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) in 1949, and the various subsidiaries consolidated at that time. The GM&O merged with the Illinois Central Railroad to form Illinois Central Gulf (ICG) in 1972. This line was excess for the ICG, and the route would be sold to the Chicago, Missouri & Western Railway (CM&W) in 1987. The CM&W was reorganized as the Gateway Western Railway in 1990, which became a subsidiary of Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) in 1997. In 2023, the KCS was merged with Canadian Pacific Railway to form CPKC, the current owner of this line. Today, the line serves as a secondary mainline for CPKC.

Located on the west side of Independence, this through plate girder bridge crosses 18th Street. It is unknown if there was a previous bridge at this location. The current bridge was built in 1925, and consists of a pair of 39-foot through plate girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. The girder spans were fabricated by the American Bridge Company, while the substructures were constructed by railroad forces. The bridge utilizes a typical design for this era, with a ballast deck floor constructed of numerous parallel floorbeams. The bridge also runs at a heavy skew, on account of the angle the road below crosses at. The concrete pier in the middle uses a typical 1920s design, with concrete arches in the pier. The substructures were constructed for two tracks, although it is unknown if a second track was ever built. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The concrete portions of the bridge do have noticeable spalling forming. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

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

CPKC 18th Street Bridge (Independence)

Independence, Jackson County, Missouri