Delaware River Composite Truss Bridge
Photos
This composite truss bridge features a seven panel riveted Parker through truss (main span) and two pony trusses. This picture was taken looking northwest. Several concrete pylons from a railroad bridge are located in the area.
Photo taken by Robert Elder in February 2008
BH Photo #110934
Facts
- Overview
- Through truss bridge over Delaware River on Coal Creek Road at Valley Falls
- Location
- Valley Falls, Jefferson County, Kansas
- Status
- Intact but closed to all traffic
- History
- Built 1936
- Design
- Parker through truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 149.9 ft.
Total length: 352.9 ft.
Deck width: 23.9 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 2003
- Also called
- Mill Street Bridge
Valley Falls Bridge - Approximate latitude, longitude
- +39.35084, -95.45473 (decimal degrees)
39°21'03" N, 95°27'17" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/288481/4358584 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Valley Falls
- Land survey
- T. 8 S., R. 18 E., Sec. 18
- Average daily traffic (as of 2017)
- 375
- Inventory numbers
- NRHP 03000371 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
KS 000000000440001 (Kansas local bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
BH 17826 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection report (as of December 2018)
- Overall condition: Poor
Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 46.3 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- May 18, 2020: Updated by Clark Vance: Confirmed closure
- July 8, 2014: New Street View added by Ralph Demars
- February 15, 2009: New photos from Mark Frazier
- November 10, 2008: Updated by Robert Elder: Edited Categories.
- August 25, 2008: Updated by Robert Elder: Edited Name and Alternate names.
- July 15, 2008: Updated by Robert Elder: Updated categories
- February 3, 2008: New photos from Robert Elder
Sources
- Robert Elder - robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com
- Mark Frazier - mfrazier404 [at] gmail [dot] com
- Clark Vance - cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com
Comments
Bridge closed
I first visited this bridge in the early 2000s - somewhere around 2003, I think. At that time, this was the only bridge at this location - but there were pylons to the east.
I've added the two railroad bridges that crossed here as well as the following information I found on them. It looks like both were railroad alignments. The set closest to the road was a newer alignment of the ATSF, built 1969. The eastern set are from the original alignment and truss bridge.
It appears that the 1897 span of the truss bridge has the same plan number listed as three others on the eastern division, listed below. This seems to indicate that this span was identical to the other trusses. I have not been able to find further information on the 1929 span. It is possible that it was moved here, or erected new at this location. Unfortunately, the bridge records rarely differentiate and just give an erection date.
The AT&SF Atchison Sub crossed here, from USGS maps most likely the piers just east of the highway bridge.
All I can confirm is that it would indeed have been a railroad bridge, removed somewhere between 1991 and 2006 (the options on HA aren't great here).
Robert?
Satellite photo shows this current bridge, with 2 old sets of abutments just to the east of it within a few 100 yds have there been 3 bridges here? With the current one being the newest? None of them look like old railroad alignments.... would like to have some more info on these
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/ks/jefferson/440001/
Per the county highway department informal communication, closed spring 2019 due to damage from flooding. FEMA has not gotten back with the county on assistance, so repair/replacement plans are uncertain. The significance of the bridge is understood but without federal money planning is on hold.