KYLE Republican River Bridge (Yuma)

Located west of Concordia north of Yuma, this through truss bridge once carried the Missouri Pacific Hastings Branch over the Republican River. Little is known about the history of this bridge. Prior to 2015, the bridge consisted of two 155-foot 6-panel pin-connected Pratt through truss spans, a 90-foot through plate girder and timber pile trestle on the north end, and a 20-foot steel stringer span on the south end. The bridge was set onto concrete pile and timber pile substructures. On December 22nd, 2015; a Kyle grain train derailed on the bridge, collapsing the northern truss span. The truss was removed from the river, and the pieces placed on the north bank. The remaining spans were not damaged, and a new 155-foot through plate girder span was installed in 2020.

A date stamp on one of the concrete piers indicates a 1944 construction date. It is unknown if an existing bridge was placed onto concrete piers at this time, or if the steel spans were relocated to this location. The truss span appears to have been constructed in approximately 1900, and utilize typical design details seen in trusses of this era, including lightweight laced members and a lattice portal. The 90-foot through plate girder span also appears to be from the same era, although this span was not inspected up close. Railroads often reused steel spans, as it provided a cost effective way to reconstruct bridges along lightly used branch lines. Overall, the bridge was in fair to good condition at the time of documentation. It is now again serving traffic. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.