In 1875, the Lawrence and Topeka Railroad would become a part of the Kansas City, Topeka and Western Railroad. At the same time, the KCT&W would construct approximately two miles of track between the Missouri/Kansas State Line and the Kansas City Union Station.
In addition, the Kansas Midland Railroad completed the connection between Lawrence and the state line in 1875, prior to merging with the KCT&W.
By 1899, the route would become a part of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. The ATSF connected several midwestern states to the southwestern United States.
This route served as a secondary mainline for the ATSF, bypassing the congested mainline which ran south of this line.
By 1996, the ATSF was struggling considerably. As a result, it merged with Burlington Northern to form BNSF Railway, the current operator of this line.
Currently, it is known as the Topeka Subdivision, which connects Emporia to Kansas City.
06/26/21
Located along Wilder Road in Shawnee, this large through girder bridge is the northernmost crossing of Mill Creek.
Built in 1917, the bridge features a massive single span through plate girder, set onto concrete substructures. In addition, the bridge also utilizes a ballasted deck.
Along the Holliday-Topeka line, there are a number of massive girder bridges, which indicate how heavily built the line is. This bridge is located near Holliday, where this line meets the busy Emporia Subdivision.
Little modifications appear to have been made to this bridge since it was first constructed.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition.
The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
The photo above is an overview.