Pross Drive Bridge
Photos
Not every long drive to an unphotographed old bridge is a home run. But they all have some neat history.
Photo taken by Nick Schmiedeler in December 2016
BH Photo #371544
Facts
- Overview
- Bedstead pony truss bridge over a branch of Marrowbone Creek on Pross Drive at the Daviess County line
- Location
- Caldwell County, Missouri, and Daviess County, Missouri
- Status
- Open to traffic
- History
- Built 1905
- Builder
- - J.H. Sparks of St. Joseph, Missouri
- Design
- Bedstead double-intersection Warren pony truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 13.1 ft.
Total length: 25.9 ft.
Deck width: 13.5 ft.
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +39.78578, -94.05961 (decimal degrees)
39°47'09" N, 94°03'35" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/409269/4404518 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Kidder
- Land survey
- T. 57 N., R. 28 W., Sec. 5
- Inventory numbers
- MO 013-041001.6 (Missouri off-system bridge number)
MONBI 18838 (Missouri bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
MONBI 13551 (Missouri bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
BH 42726 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- July 3, 2020: New photos from Neil Krout
- December 5, 2016: Updated by Clark Vance: Added category "Lattice pony truss"
- December 3, 2016: New photos from Nick Schmiedeler
- June 6, 2009: Added by James Baughn
Sources
- Missouri Historic Bridge Inventory
- Nick Schmiedeler - nick [at] nickschmiedeler [dot] com
- Neil Krout - kickinpony [dot] 66 [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
The original design intent and historic significance is function as lattice girder. The added load-bearing bent is not original and is an alteration (probably a good thing given severe impact damage to girders).
I added "Lattice Pony Truss" category but from the looks of the support below and the truss in picture 4 it appears it functions as a beam bridge.
Similar to a Canton "Lattice Girder" in design, with exception to the ends not being rounded.
I'm not seeing a truss here. 1994 NBI shows stringer, I'd say slab or stringer.
What's the consensus?
Long drive for this one....sadly it is in serious need of some TLC. Regardless, obviously a very neat old survivor.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/mo/caldwell/pross/
It looks like the deck and original flooring system were scrapped too, at least if this was originally a lattice girder--if it were to function as a true girder bridge, the bottom chord of the lattice should be below the deck, and there should be lateral floor beams to support the deck. The existing deck is much thicker than the original would have been, and the bottom chord is above the deck. My guess is this was done at the same time that the diagonals and center support were added.