Rating:
3 votes

Fall River Bridge

Wilson County, Kansas

Photos 

Photo taken by Robert Elder

Enlarge

BH Photo #110292

Map 

Facts 

Overview
Through truss bridge over Fall River on 21.7-N.1 Local, 2.9 mi. west of Neodesha
Location
Wilson County, Kansas
Status
Replaced by a new bridge and placed on dry land next to the new bridge
History
Built 1914
Design
Pratt through truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 120.0 ft.
Total length: 122.0 ft.
Deck width: 15.7 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 15.4 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+37.43217, -95.72309   (decimal degrees)
37°25'56" N, 95°43'23" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/259064/4146297 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Neodesha
Average daily traffic (as of 2013)
30
Inventory numbers
KS 001030995106527 (Kansas local bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
BH 18673 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection report (as of June 2016)
Overall condition: Poor
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 21.9 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com

Categories 

A-frame portal (415)
Abandoned (3,451)
Built 1914 (786)
Built during 1910s (9,417)
Kansas (3,153)
One-lane traffic (7,548)
Owned by county (20,252)
Pin-connected (3,800)
 Pratt through truss (5,149)
Pratt truss (8,948)
Span length 100-125 feet (4,288)
Through truss (14,426)
Total length 100-125 feet (5,050)
Truss (31,773)
Wilson County, Kansas (35)

Update Log 

  • March 17, 2019: Updated by Robert Elder: Not lost, yet. The bridge is sitting on dry land.
  • July 12, 2018: Updated by Dave King: Added categories "Pin-connected", "A-frame portal"
  • July 31, 2017: New photos from Nick Schmiedeler
  • January 23, 2017: Updated by Robert Elder: Doomed.
  • February 5, 2010: Updated by Robert Elder: Adjusted GPS Coordinates.
  • February 27, 2008: Updated by Robert Elder: Edited "Design"

Sources 

  • Robert Elder - robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com
  • KHRI - Kansas Historical Resources Inventory.
  • Nick Schmiedeler - nick [at] nickschmiedeler [dot] com
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Comments 

Fall River Bridge
Posted March 17, 2019, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

We interrupt the devastating news of bridge after bridge being destroyed by flooding to bring you some good news.

This bridge was placed on dry land instead of being demolished when it was replaced. I do not know what the future holds for this bridge, but for right now it appears to be extant.

Fall River Bridge
Posted September 2, 2018, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

This bridge might not be as lost as we think. It was reportedly placed on the ground intact nearby. A photograph has surfaced on Facebook showing the bridge sitting on dry land and overgrown with weeds. It might still be hiding in the trees if somebody wants to do a field check.

Fall River Bridge
Posted July 12, 2018, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

Hi Priscilla:

Thanks for the update. I figured that this bridge would not be here much longer. Wilson County is now nearly devoid of historic highway bridges.

Fall River Bridge
Posted July 12, 2018, by Priscilla Petersen (priscilla [dot] petersen [at] ks [dot] gov)

This bridge has been replaced.

Fall River Bridge
Posted August 1, 2017, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

Tony:

I have often thought that it looked a bit like a Western Bridge Co. plaque.

I have never been able to confirm any Stupp Brothers bridges in Kansas but I would not be too surprised if they built a few. They were working just across the state line in Missouri so it is conceivable that they might have wanted to expand their area of operations in to Kansas. I just don't know if they actually did or not.

Fall River Bridge
Posted July 31, 2017, by Tony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

Doesn't that kinda look like a Stupp Bros. or Western Plaque Robert!

Fall River Bridge
Posted July 31, 2017, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

Thanks for doing a field visit.

Fall River Bridge
Posted July 31, 2017, by Nick Schmiedeler

No, I didn't see any in the area, this one is still very much open, maybe a little bit more time left than expected .....

Fall River Bridge
Posted July 31, 2017, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

Any sign of new bridge construction? This one probably does not have much time left.

Fall River Bridge
Posted January 23, 2017, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

This bridge is now doomed as per the KHRI link above. Looks like this bridge will join the nearby Bull's Ford Bridge in the "lost" category.

In the 1980s, Wilson County had a great collection of Marsh arch and metal truss bridges. Every Marsh arch in the county has been demolished. When this bridge is demolished, it will likely be the last remaining truss bridge in the county (save for one or two abandoned ones that were transferred to private landowners).

The county will still retain three railroad truss bridges. By contrast, Montgomery County immediately to the south retains a great collection of historic bridges, although many of them are abandoned.

Fall River Bridge
Posted March 10, 2010, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

The KSHS page shows that this bridge once had at least one plaque. Unfortunately there is no close-up photo that would indicate what the plaque says.

http://khri.kansasgis.org/index.cfm?tab=details&in=205-0000-...