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| Name | UP Bridge #97.28 Union Pacific Railroad Bridge #97.28 |
| Built By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Length | 60 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder |
| Date Built | 1906 |
| Traffic Count | 5 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 97.28 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 12/31/2019 |
After the Pacific Railway Act of 1862, numerous railroads were charting routes from the Midwest to the Pacific using federal land grants. The Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western Railroad was initially authorized by the Kansas Legislature in 1855, and changed the name to the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division (UP-ED) in 1863. In 1864, the UP-ED began construction on a 40 mile railroad line, extending from Kansas City, Missouri westwards towards Denver. The railroad reached Salina, Kansas by 1865, and an additional 97 miles to Fort Riley, Kansas opened in 1866. In 1867, an additional 152 miles to Hays, Kansas would open to traffic, followed by an additional 116 miles to McAllaster, Colorado in 1869. The UP-ED would be merged into the Kansas Pacific Railway (KP) in 1869. The KP continued construction westwards, constructing an additional 234 miles to Denver, Colorado in 1870. The KP was sold to the Union Pacific Railway in 1880. The railroad would change its name to the Union Pacific Railroad in 1901. The UP had constructed a vast network of railroads, extending from the Missouri River westwards. This route served as a secondary mainline for the railroad, roughly paralleling the First Transcontinental Railroad, which was constructed north of this line in Nebraska. Between 1901 and 1905, significant upgrades were made to this line, including realignments and new bridges, and a second track from Kansas City to Topeka was constructed in 1906. Since the initial construction, little has changed with this line. UP spent significant capital upgrading the route in the 1990s, although traffic has slowed considerably in the 2010s. Today, UP operates the Kansas Subdivision between Kansas City and Menoken, the Salina Subdivision between Menoken and Salina, the Sharon Springs Subdivision between Salina and Sharon Springs, and the Limon Subdivision from Sharon Springs to Denver.
Located along US Highway 24 on the east side of Belvue, this bridge is the westernmost four similar through girders in this area. Built in 1907 to cross an unnamed creek, the bridge consists of a single 60-foot through plate girder span, set onto concrete abutments. The span was fabricated by the American Bridge Company, which fabricated many bridges for the Union Pacific Railroad throughout the first half of the 20th Century. This through girder utilizes a standard design, used extensively throughout the Union Pacific system. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable ans easy to construct. 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
| Build date | Union Pacific Railroad Valuation Engineering Field Notes at the National Archives |
| Builder | Missing American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |