Plattsmouth Railroad Bridge

By 1902, the old bridge had become too light for traffic, and the CB&Q was contemplating replacing the bridge. One of the options considered was to construct a new double track bridge at this location. Ultimately, it was decided that this would be too costly, as replacing the piers would also be required. A new 402-foot 16-panel pin connected Pennsylvania through truss would be constructed to replace the western through truss span, and a pair of 198-foot 8-panel pin connected Pratt deck trusses would be installed to replace the eastern Whipple truss. Two 202-foot 8-panel pin connected Pratt deck trusses would be installed, and a 200-foot 8-panel pin connected Pratt deck trusses would be constructed out of two of the 1879 trusses, making a truss span with four truss lines. A 90-foot deck plate girder span and concrete slab span were used as the east approach, and two 48-foot and one 30-foot deck plate girder spans on a steel tower were utilized for the west approach. The new bridge reused several of the old piers, with new concrete piers constructed as needed. Components from the old bridge would be utilized at locations throughout Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa. The deck girder spans were often twinned, reusing two or three spans to create a single span.

The main span of this bridge is a rather large span, consisting of a polygonal top chord, typical for Pennsylvania through trusses. Pennsylvania trusses were often used for exceptionally long spans, as the design allowed for long lengths without compromising load capacity. The eastern deck truss span is also a notable example of railroads reusing pieces of steel and iron bridges. It is unusual to have a reused span like this on a major mainline bridge, although it is believed that the decision to reuse spans from the old bridge was an attempt to save costs. When the old spans were combined, the trusses were significantly reconstructed, and a new floor and new lateral bracing constructed. The 1903 era deck trusses utilize a combination of riveted and pinned connections, a design standard for the CB&Q.

To reduce curvature, the west approach of the bridge was reconstructed in 1976. A 70-foot and 40-foot deck plate girder span were installed with a 30-foot steel stringer span. The deck plate girder spans appear to have been fabricated in c. 1915, and reused from another location. The new approaches are set onto steel pile substructures. This bridge had long been a bottleneck for the CB&Q, and later BN and BNSF. A new parallel single track bridge opened to traffic in 2013. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, and continues to carry freight traffic. Many of the trusses have been strengthened, and other general repairs have been made to the bridge. The author has ranked this bridge as being nationally significant, due to the unique design and history.