Big Slough Creek Bridge
Facts
- Overview
- Through truss bridge over Big Slough Creek on CR 90, 0.3 mi. south and 2.2 mi. west of Oskaloosa
- Location
- Jefferson County, Kansas
- Status
- Intact but closed to all traffic
- History
- Built 1905
- Design
- Pin-connected. 6-panel Pratt through truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 84.0 ft.
Total length: 131.9 ft.
Deck width: 14.1 ft.
- Recognition
- Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
- Also called
- Rickety Bridge
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +39.21060, -95.35229 (decimal degrees)
39°12'38" N, 95°21'08" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/296905/4342784 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Oskaloosa
- Average daily traffic (as of 2014)
- 25
- Inventory numbers
- KS 000441031804083 (Kansas local bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
BH 17807 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection report (as of December 2016)
- Overall condition: Poor
Superstructure condition rating: Imminent Failure (1 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 21.9 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- April 26, 2017: New photo from Kevin Skow
- January 8, 2017: New photos from Nick Schmiedeler
- August 31, 2016: Updated by Robert Elder: Bridge appears to be NRHP Eligible - see comment.
- April 28, 2013: Updated by Zach Elliott: Bridge failed inspection and has been closed via KDOT http://www.jeffcountynews.com/2013/04/kdot-forces-county-to-shut-down-two-bridges/
- November 16, 2010: Updated by Robert Elder: Edited Categories
- January 21, 2010: Updated by Robert Elder: Adjusted GPS Coordinates.
- September 29, 2008: New photo from Robert Elder
Sources
- Robert Elder - robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com
- Zach Elliott
- Nick Schmiedeler - nick [at] nickschmiedeler [dot] com
- Kevin Skow - weatherbum [at] hotmail [dot] com
Comments
Yup... I thought it was interesting that they had it listed on there.
Good to hear from the expert! I will have to inspect the counters next time I visit the bridge. The local support is encouraging.
Another interesting feature of this bridge is the use of built up (laced channels if I recall correctly) for the substructure. This is not unheard of, but it is somewhat uncommon. The Elk Falls Bridge in Elk County, Kansas is another good example.
Removal of portions of portal bracing to increase vertical clearance is uncommon among pin-connected trusses, but is extremely common among rivet-connected trusses.
The locals are in strong support of leaving this bridge in place. They were having a nightly get-together on the bridge when I was here.
Overall this is just a traditional pin thru truss. The portal bracing could have been a large lattice too. Who knows. All I know is that the one unique detail of note is that it has unusual forged clevis eyebars for the, as I recall, the counter diagonals... this is a noteworthy fabrication detail.
Well, that is the local name...I didn't realize that the local name made it to the KHRI. Interesting...
KHRI also refers to this one as the Rickety Bridge.
Robert,
I would guess what I think is called an M pattern based on the stubs that remain.
Regards,
Art S.
I suspect that it was done for clearance. I am not sure what it looked like originally. When I visited this bridge, it was open to traffic, but the bracing was long gone.
Interesting that someone cut away the portal bracing!
According the KHRI, this one may be NRHP Eligible:
Just a confirmation: There are currently "Bridge Closed" signs at each end of the structure, though it's still passable by foot.
Looks like recent inspections have forced KDOT to close the bridge. I have updated the description to reflect that. Story here: http://www.jeffcountynews.com/2013/04/kdot-forces-county-to-...
Hold your breath!
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/ks/jefferson/441031804083/
Just uploaded a YouTube clip of our last visit few years ago- search "KANSAS OLD BRIDGE HUNT - abandoned 1905 Big Slough Creek Bridge - Old Rickety, Jefferson County"