PAL - Salt River Bridge
Facts
- Overview
- Three-span Pratt through truss bridge over Salt River on the P&L Railroad
- Location
- West Point, Jefferson County, Kentucky, and Hardin County, Kentucky
- Status
- Open to traffic
- History
- Built 1933
- Railroads
- - Illinois Central Railroad (IC; ICG (1972-1988))
- Paducah & Louisville Railway (PAL)
- Design
- Pratt through truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 138.0 ft.
Total length: 830.0 ft.
Deck width: 9.0 ft.
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +38.00142, -85.94315 (decimal degrees)
38°00'05" N, 85°56'35" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 16/592787/4206500 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Kosmosdale
- Inventory number
- BH 43482 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- April 2, 2020: Updated by John Marvig: Added information from IC Track Profile
- September 18, 2016: Updated by Christopher Finigan: Added category "Riveted"
- September 18, 2016: New photo from Jack Schmidt
- April 5, 2010: New Street View added by James Baughn
- April 5, 2010: New photos from James McCray
- October 10, 2009: Added by J.P.
Sources
- J.P. - wildcatjon2000 [at] gmail [dot] com
- James McCray - jamesinslocomb [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Jack Schmidt - jjturtle [at] earthlink [dot] net
- John Marvig - marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
train derailment this morning, near or on this bridge. its been declared a level 3 hazmat situation. not sure of damage to bridge.
Another brain fade... It is the trestle on the right in my Google Maps link getting replaced - the straight one. The replacement for the curved one on the left is in the planning stages.
Sorry, I inadvertently copied your link. Here is my link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=37.967157,-85.964413&hl=en&num...
I've also uploaded a couple photos I took of the Salt River bridge back in March 2009
Actually, the bridge in the Google Maps photo you link to is not a P&L bridge. That is the CSX bridge on their line to Owensboro. Here is the link showing both trestles mentioned in the article; the one on the left is the one getting replaced:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=muldraugh+ky&ll=37.996383,-85....
If you follow the tracks in the upper right of the photo you'll see the P&L Salt River Bridge parallel to US31W.
Ok, I found a better article. The bridge already entering replacement isn't listed on Bridgehunter, and doesn't appear to be in the NBI. It's a steel trestle about half a mile up the Salt River from this bridge. You can see a good view of it here;
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=muldraugh+ky&ll=37.996383,-85....
There is a photo of the trestle at the bottom of the article, though not a very good one. They still want to replace the truss bridge also, but apparently don't have the money at this time. Sorry for panicking.
http://www.turret.com/content/railroad-replacing-150-year-ol...
I'm still trying to get more information, but I'm afraid this bridge may be as good as lost. This article just came out today about closing the Bridges to the Past trail system, and I just happened to notice the mention of the replacement of a 1889 P&L Bridge. There is also mention of eventually replacing another bridge later on. This is the very first I've heard of any of this. I'm not sure this is the one, but it's the only bridge I can find that comes close to matching the article. I'll keep you posted with what I find out. Is anyone near this area that can get better info?
http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/content/rail-construction-n...
Love the photos! Amazing bridge!
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/ky/jefferson/bh43482/
Derailment was North of the Bridge and the bridge itself is not effected but is closed until the clean up is complete.