The line would open in 1890, with approximately 40 miles of track. The highlight was a large bridge across the Kansas River into Argentine, Kansas. By 1902, it would be merged into the Kansas City Southern Railway; which was building south towards the Gulf of Mexico.
The belt line roughly paralleled the Kansas and Missouri Rivers, crossing the Kansas near Argentine. However, a new bridge would be built in 1907 near present day James Street and I-70.
Several railroads connected to the belt line, including the Missouri Pacific, Chicago Great Western, Santa Fe and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; among others.
KCS operated the route and the numerous rail yards with little change until 1983, when the bridge across the Kansas River was abandoned.
Today, significant portions of the original belt line are continued to be operated by Kansas City Southern Railway.
06/26/21
This gigantic truss bridge crosses the Kansas River near Central Avenue.
The pair of main spans are 11-panel, riveted Parker Through Trusses. These spans are approached by a small 9-panel Pratt Through truss. This span is skewed, which provides a curved shape to the bridge.
Originally built in 1907, the bridge had a pair of Pennsylvania Through Truss spans. This span was built to replace a bridge at Argentine; which was later turned over to the city.
In approximately 1959, the bridge was raised approximately 8 feet, and an I-Beam approach was added to the east end. The bridge rests on concrete substructures.
The Kansas River has a reputation for flooding quite often. Fortunately for this bridge, it has survived every major flood largely intact.
The bridge remains in an overall good condition, awaiting a possible reuse. The stringers have been replaced fairly recently.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant due to the large span length and notable design of the bridge.
The photo above is an overview from the east bank.
| Upstream | UP Kansas River Bridge #3 |
| Downstream | UP Kansas River Bridge #4 |