BNSF 29th Street Bridge (Topeka)

Name	BNSF 29th Street Bridge (Topeka) Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge #53A
Built By	Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	American Bridge Company of New York
Length	188 Feet Total, 60 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	15 Feet 2 Inches
Superstructure Design	Deck Plate Girder and Concrete Slab
Substructure Design	Concrete and Steel Pile
Date Built	1929, Approaches Reconstructed c. 2000
Traffic Count	10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Number	53A
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	53.3
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	12/31/2019

In 1865, the St. Louis, Lawrence and Denver Railroad (StLL&D) completed a 17 mile railroad, extending from Lawrence, Kansas to DeSoto, Kansas. In 1869, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF) constructed 27 miles from Topeka, Kansas to Burlingame, Kansas; and the following year, an additional 34 miles to Emporia were completed. In 1871, the Lawrence and Topeka Railway (L&T) completed an additional 22 miles from Lawrence to Topeka, Kansas. In 1874, the StLL&D was reorganized as the St. Louis, Lawrence & Western Railroad (StLL&W). In 1875, both railroads were conveyed to the Kansas City, Topeka & Western Railroad (KCT&W). The same year, the KCT&W completed an additional 23 miles between DeSoto and the Kansas City Union Station. The KCT&W would be leased by the ATSF in 1880. The ATSF changed its name to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) in 1895, and the KCT&W was consolidated into the ATSF in 1899. The ATSF had acquired and constructed a large number of railroad lines throughout the western United States, particularly in Kansas and Oklahoma. This line served as one of two mainlines connecting Kansas City to Emporia. The ATSF would merge with Burlington Northern Railroad in 1996 to form BNSF Railway, the current owner of this line. The Holliday to Topeka to Emporia segment of this line is operated as the Topeka Subdivision.

Located in Topeka, this deck girder bridge crosses 29th Street and Butcher Creek. In the late 1920s, the ATSF undertook a project to eliminate grade crossings in Topeka. As part of the project, much of the line to Emporia was elevated or depressed throughout the city. This bridge was constructed in 1929 as the ATSF elevated the tracks in the area. The bridge consists of a 60-foot "class AA" deck plate girder span, approached by concrete modular girder spans on either end. The bridge is set onto concrete and steel pile substructures. Butcher Creek is carried under 29th Street by a concrete box culvert, built and maintained by the city. While the piers of the bridge were constructed for two tracks, it does not appear that a second track was ever installed. The main span of the bridge was fabricated by American Bridge Company, which fabricated numerous bridges for the ATSF during the 20th Century. The bridge originally utilized wooden trestle approaches, but these were replaced in approximately 2000 by the current spans. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads for urban grade separations, as it was durable, easy to construct and relatively cheap. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with no critical deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

BNSF 29th Street Bridge (Topeka)

Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas