Mill Street Bridge

We visited this bridge on 2/18/2017. Maybe I should say we attempted to visit it. It's gone. Not a piece left of it.

I drove past this bridge on Friday, November 11th 2016. It is still standing. I don't know about any changes in the timeline for replacement.

This bridge could be demolished anytime now, if it hasn't been already.

http://www.miamicountyks.org/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/0...

I just ran across this bridge today. It's a beautiful old bridge, nearly 100 years old now. And it appears to be in great condition for preservation as a pedestrian and bike bridge. It should not be torn down; rather, the replacement should be built right next to it. The way that Osawatomie has preserved both of its other two historic bridges to the north and south of town (circa 1930 bridges carrying old or original alignments of US 169/K-7) has been inspirational. The community should do the same here. There's no bona fide reason, unless you're just an old grumpy curmudgeon, for this bridge to be torn down. None.

This article is a few months old, but it has several photographs of the Mill Street Bridge, and it discusses historic bridges in Kansas in general.

http://cjonline.com/news/2013-09-15/future-bleak-aging-count...

I have long suspected that the Mill Creek Bridge was a high priority for replacement. Given it's terrible condition, I am surprised it carried traffic for as long as it did. It is an important link for people living east of Osawatomie.

Miami County is putting this bridge up for federal off-system grant money. with any luck we will be able to replace this with a ordinary concrete bridge that carries two lanes of traffic. I hate to see old trusses like this one go, but its just getting way too costly to keep it up and going.

Sounds good, Julie. I will keep this page updated. If the trusses can be re-used somewhere, so be it.

This bridge is an important link between Osawatomie and the rural parts of the county located east of the city. Unfortunately it is in very poor condition. From what I understand, officials are afraid that any repairs would just be a temporary solution.

I put in a call to the city manager suggesting that they need to also look at a cost for repair. Told them I had been there just to go bridgespotting on Robert's itinerary. And I ate lunch. So we will see.

I follow up on as many as possible you know. Keep the info coming.

Thanks Robert.

Another update on the future of this bridge: http://www.graphic-online.com/news/article_4fda9090-e800-538...

Looks like the commissioners want to remove the trusses and construct a new bridge on the original pylons.

Sounds like salt has at least in part led to the disrepair of this bridge.

The latest news on this bridge: http://www.kccommunitynews.com/osawatomie-graphic-news/30724...

The county does not have the money to replace the bridge, so it will likely remain closed for now. The county has improved surrounding roads to improve traffic flow.

This bridge is commonly known as the Mill Street Bridge, although it is actually on Main Street. When the levees were constructed around Osawatomie, Mill Street was truncated and Main Street was routed through the levee system and across the bridge.