This bridge has been taken down - it no longer exists.
The new bridge was opened to traffic in late August 2013.
Closed now. the new one is not near done, seems work on it ceased.
Sounds like that bridge is going up quickly. When I crossed this bridge in late 2011, no work had been done at all - except perhaps for some surveying.
If anybody wants to visit this bridge, do it now. Soon, there will only be two of them left. Only the Nebraska one is recognized as historic.
There once were several in Kansas, so perhaps they were just considered common technology.
The replacement bridge is nearly complete,it appeared they had finished the deck and are now working on the approach when I took that pic last week.
Eric:
Thanks for the photograph. I understand that the replacement bridge is under construction. These Kansas Cantilevers are becoming and endangered species.
Well, that will leave only two Kansas Cantilevers. One of them in Kansas, and the other in Nebraska. This design was once common in the area and apparently not considered historically significant when studies were conducted in the early 1980s.
Construction on the replacement bridge is underway, so this bridge has a very limited time left before it's lost.
It has a big vote from me Robert!
This is a beautiful and unique bridge that looks to be in extremely good condition...makes NO sense whatsoever!
I know we can't preserve every historic bridge, but this is a very good example of one of the small scale cantilver truss bridges that were once common in the region. I have nominated it for a TRUSS award, but if anybody wants to nominated it as well, that would be great. If nothing else, perhaps it could be bypassed like the Saline River Bridge in Ellis Co.
Talked to my wife's uncle who works for KDOT, and he says this bridge is still scheduled for replacement.
Interestingly, there are two cantilver trusses on this stretch of the river and they are both doomed. The other one (Shaw Bridge) is probably lost already.
That's too bad... I've had a lot of fun fishing underneath this bridge.
KDOT has plans to demolish this cantilever truss bridge in 2012. Funds are not yet available. This article discusses both this brige, and the nearby cantilver bridge at Shaw - also doomed.
http://www.parsonssun.com/view/full_story_obits/6503383/arti...
This bridge is actually on K-47 (used to be K-57) about two miles west of St. Paul.
Shucks. I will update the listing.