Rating:
5 votes

Big Soldier Creek Bridge

Shawnee County, Kansas

Photos 

Photo taken by Robert Elder

Enlarge

BH Photo #110271

Map 

Street View 

Facts 

Overview
Rainbow arch bridge over Big Soldier Creek on 70th Street near Grove
Location
Shawnee County, Kansas
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built 1922
Design
Concrete pony arch
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 100.0 ft.
Total length: 101.0 ft.
Deck width: 18.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+39.17306, -95.86713   (decimal degrees)
39°10'23" N, 95°52'02" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/252314/4339897 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Grove
Inventory numbers
KS 000000000890510 (Kansas local bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
KS 000890977104140 (Kansas local bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
BH 18520 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Arch (12,942)
Built 1922 (756)
Built during 1920s (10,471)
Concrete pony arch (53)
Have street view (30,595)
Kansas (3,294)
Marsh arch (72)
Marsh arch (standard) (23)
 Open (41,564)
Owned by county (22,056)
Rainbow arch (264)
Shawnee County, Kansas (90)
Span length 100-125 feet (4,703)
Structurally deficient (12,448)
Total length 100-125 feet (5,665)

Update Log 

  • July 30, 2017: New photos from Kevin Skow
  • January 8, 2017: New photos from Nick Schmiedeler
  • October 19, 2016: Updated by Robert Elder: Added category "Marsh arch (standard)"
  • July 4, 2016: Updated by Nathan Holth: Merged Current NBI Data and Number
  • March 9, 2010: Updated by Robert Elder: Added Street View link
  • January 21, 2010: Updated by Robert Elder: Adjusted GPS Coordinates
  • December 8, 2009: Updated by Robert Elder: Added Marsh Arch to Categories
  • November 10, 2008: New photo from Robert Elder

Sources 

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Comments 

Big Soldier Creek Bridge
Posted July 5, 2016, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

Thanks Nathan. That is what I figured, so it is good to get confirmation.

Big Soldier Creek Bridge
Posted July 5, 2016, by Nathan Holth (nathan [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

I have no idea how/why, but in mapping my recent Kansas trip, I noticed there were a number of rainbow arch bridges in Kansas that were not categorized as Marsh arches on Bridgehunter.

As far as I know all the rainbow arch bridges in Kansas are Marsh arches. Certainly this one is, as both KHRI listed it as a "Documented" Marsh arch, and my field visit confirmed Marsh design as there is concrete spalling revealing James Marsh's patented double-hinge detail at the end vertical hangers on this bridge.

Big Soldier Creek Bridge
Posted July 4, 2016, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

I did not notice the change. I have always assumed that this is a true Marsh arch, but one would have to see the internal steel to know for sure - or check county records.

Big Soldier Creek Bridge
Posted July 4, 2016, by Clark Vance (cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com)

Any clue as to why this no longer carries the category "Marsh Arch"?

Big Soldier Creek Bridge
Posted August 14, 2011, by Tom D. (daileyservices [at] qwest [dot] net)

I misspoke - on my last visit, I purposely drove down the old road, and SHAZZAM! It's still there! The road has been rerouted, and there simply isn't a lot of traffic over it, but the old girl still "shines".

Quiet testimony to halcyon times gone by.

TCD

Big Soldier Creek Bridge
Posted October 3, 2009, by Tom Dailey (daileyservices [at] qwest [dot] net)

Since 1951 (7 years old) I drove or rode over this bridge in everything from a Farmall "H" tractor, to a '48 Chevy truck, full of wheat or haybales, all my folks' and my cars, and even a motorcycle a time or three.

I LOVED this old bridge; you always knew you were close to the "home place" farm, or were leaving yet again, when you crossed "The Rainbow". Even the old general store in Grove, with it's "Buttercrust Bread" pushbar on the screen door, is gone now - and we are silent witnesses to the Rainbow Bridge.

TCD

Big Soldier Creek Bridge
Posted April 29, 2007, by Robert L. Elder (Bass-tbn [at] ku [dot] edu)

These photos were taken in late May of 2005. A similar bridge on Hoch Road over Soldier Creek a few miles to the southeast was demolished a few years ago.

Webmaster's note: The photos that were here have been incorporated into the main site.

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