Chouteau Bridge
Photos
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record |
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Hisotoric photo Historic photo from 1896, shows bridge as railroad bridge before being converted for automobile use in 1951. Photo posted by Max Johnson |
Timeline
Compiled by James Baughn
- 1887
- Opened to railroad traffic
- 1951
- Converted for automobile use
- 1953
- Acquired by Kansas City
- Mar. 2, 2001
- Permanently closed to traffic
- Dec. 5, 2001
- Main span imploded
- Dec. 17, 2001
- Replacement bridge opened
Facts
- Overview
- Lost three-span Whipple truss bridge over the Missouri River in Kansas City
- Status
- Replaced by new bridge in 2001
- History
- Built 1887; converted into vehicular use in 1951; demolished in 2001
- Builders
- - Charles L. Strobel
- Keystone Bridge Works
- Design
- Whipple through truss
- Dimensions
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Length of largest span: 403.8 ft.
Total length: 1,358.6 ft.
Deck width: 20.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 18.5 ft.
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +39.14604, -94.53402 (decimal degrees)
39°08'46" N, 94°32'02" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/367436/4334103 (zone/easting/northing)
- Land survey
- T. 50 N., R. 33 W., Sec. 7
- USGS topographic map
- North Kansas City
- Inventory number
- BH 21692 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Sources
- HAER MO-93 - Francois Chouteau Bridge, Spanning Missouri River at Chouteau Traffic Way, Kansas City, Jackson County, MO
- James Baughn - webmaster [at] bridgehunter [dot] com
Comments
I had considered this to be one of the finest truss bridges in the entire United States and one of the landmarks of Kansas City.
There was much fear that this bridge was unsafe, and the weight limit had been lowered to three tons. For some residents of the KC area, it was considered "fun" to drive unsuspecting friends and family across this bridge.
This was an amazing structure! Just looking at pictures makes me wish I had seen the real thing. I have not seen circular, cut stone cassions on any other bridge. You have to wonder just what is wrong with people who would replace a gem like this.