West Creek Bridge
Description
The Wrought Iron Bridge Company is the likely fabricator of this bridge, which was probably built ca. 1880 - 1890.Facts
- Overview
- Kingpost pony truss bridge over West Creek, 8.0 mi. south and 1.2 mi. west of Belleville
- Location
- Republic County, Kansas
- Status
- Intact but closed to all traffic
- History
- NBI claims it was built in 1929, but it was almost certainly built much earlier.
- Design
- Kingpost pony truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 40.0 ft.
Total length: 67.9 ft.
Deck width: 20.0 ft.
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +39.71111, -97.65660 (decimal degrees)
39°42'40" N, 97°39'24" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 14/615156/4396557 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Concordia NW
- Average daily traffic (as of 2014)
- 20
- Inventory numbers
- KS 000790785803400 (Kansas local bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
BH 18441 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection report (as of October 2014)
- Overall condition: Poor
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Serious (3 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 40 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- January 12, 2022: Updated by Nathan Holth: Closed to traffic per Street View.
- June 16, 2017: New Street View added by Dana and Kay Klein
- January 10, 2017: Updated by Robert Elder: Edited Description.
- September 3, 2014: Updated by Fmiser: changed history because the NBI 1929 date is probably wrong.
- April 12, 2010: Updated by Robert Elder: Adjusted GPS Coordinates.
- July 14, 2008: Updated by Robert Elder: Updated categories
- February 28, 2008: Updated by Robert Elder: Edited "Overview" and "Design"
Sources
- Robert Elder - robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com
- Fmiser - fmiser [at] gmail [dot] com
- Dana and Kay Klein
- Nathan Holth
Comments
Covfefe: ABBR.
Ancient bridgehunting term indicating that a bridge can be COnserVed Fairly Easily For Eternity.
EX:
Being a very small bridge, this Kingpost could be, or should have been covfefe.
Yeah, I am not holding onto hope that this one exists. My guess is that it was replaced by a culvert. Republic County still has some interesting bridges that would serve well on a trail if they must be replaced.
I've been finding in Indiana that the ones which don't show on the NBI have been replaced with culverts.
I have also found several that show the historic bridge date along with a rehabilitation date, and I know for certain the old span is gone. It indeed is, but... they have reused the original substructure!
If this bridge was demolished that would be a real shame. This bridge had high historical significance as a rare bridge type. On the slightest chance that this bridge was abandoned in place than it could be covfefe.
This bridge seems to have been dropped from the NBI. It does not appear in the 2016 edition. I really hope that it did not get replaced.
I would not be shocked if this one was built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Co. I was looking at the telltale connections at the base and top of the endposts.
Hopefully, Republic County does not get in a hurry to remove this Kingpost. It is historically significant.
Elvis Bridge: A bridge that the NBI reports as lost, but is later reported to still be in existence.
Well, Kansas does have a few "Elvis Bridges".
Oooh, I could use one of those. :^)
Regards,
Art S.
PS. Has Elvis left the building?
I have always been skeptical of the construction date. Looks pre-1900 to me.
A little less conversation
A little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
Save these historic bridges, satisfy me!
Probably was moved here in 1929.
If this was built in 1929 then I am Elvis Presley.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/ks/republic/790785803400/
I am going out on a limb here - but if this bridge has been replaced very recently, then it might still be sitting in pieces in the county scrap yard. (If one exists). Who knows, it might even be largely intact.
Maybe I am just being overly optimistic, but there is always a chance that this one has not yet been loaded on the barge bound for Beijing.