Kansas Avenue Bowstring

Photos

Illustration of the bridge on the cover of the 7/23/1870 issue of Scientific American.

BH Photo #276453

Map

Maps and Databases

Description

Iron Arch Truss Bridge built sometime in the 1870s or before. Bridge replaced by the Melan Bridge in 1898. the Speed Limit on the bridge was no faster than a walking Pace and the Weight Limit was no more than 50 head of cattle which was later changed to 25 head of cattle.

This bridge was featured in the 7/23/1870 issue of Scientific American.

Facts

Overview: Lost bowstring through truss bridge over Kansas River on Kansas Avenue
Location: Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas
Status: Replaced by a new bridge 1898
History: Built sometime in the 1870s or before, replaced 1898 by the Melan Arch Bridge
Builder: - King Bridge Co. of Cleveland, Ohio (Topeka, Kansas Plant)
Design: Bowstring through truss
Approximate latitude, longitude: +39.06241, -95.66881 (decimal degrees)
39°03'45" N, 95°40'08" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates: 15/269089/4327092 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:: Topeka
Inventory number: BH 55525 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Update Log

January 28, 2022: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
January 1, 2019: New photos from Nick Schmiedeler
March 2, 2014: Updated by Luke Harden: Added builder: Bridge was built by the short lived Topeka branch of the King Bridge Co.
March 1, 2014: New photo from Luke Harden
February 12, 2013: Updated by Luke Harden: Corrected type to bowstring through truss.
February 12, 2013: Updated by Chris Knight: Added categories "Cast iron", "Kansas River", "Wooden deck"

Related Bridges

Melan Bridge (Successor)

Sources

Kansas Avenue Bridge, Topeka, Kansas - Shows the reference to the Speed Limit and Weight Limit
Kansas Avenue Bridge, Topeka, Kansas - Shows the Bridge having 6 spans.
Kansas Memory Search for Melan Bridge - This Search Result Brought up the many images of this bridge.
Luke
Nick Schmiedeler - nick [at] nickschmiedeler [dot] com
Geoff Hubbs