The Leavenworth, Pawnee and Western Railroad was initially authorized by the Kansas Legislature in 1855, and changed the name to the Union Pacific Eastern Division in 1863.
Construction began in Kansas City in September 1863. The original goal was to meet the Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad somewhere near Clay Center, Kansas.
In 1864, the first 40 miles of line between Kansas City and Lawrence was placed into operation. During the fall of 1866, the railroad extended again to Junction City, and reached Salina the following year.
The planners of the railroad realized it would be far more profitable to reach Denver instead of ending at the originally intended Fort Riley. Citizens lobbied heavily to extend the railroad even further west.
Reorganized as the Kansas Pacific, an extension towards Colorado began building west from Salina in 1869. When the railroad reached Kit Carson, Colorado the following year, the KP began building east from Denver. The two railroads met at Strasburg, Colorado in August 1870.
Because the western segment from Denver to Strasburg originally connected with another railroad, the meeting at Strasburg was the first time the east and west coast were connected by railroad, including a bridge over the Missouri River, which did not exist at that time in Omaha.
In 1874, Jay Gould gained control of the KP, and was reorganized as the Union Pacific Railroad. Other than track upgrades, the line saw little change since the 1870 connection.
Today, UP continues to operate the line in four subdivisions. The eastern portion of the Kansas Subdivision extends from Kansas City to Topeka, the Salina Subdivision extends from Topeka to Salina, the Sharon Springs Subdivision extends from Salina to Sharon Springs, and the Limon Subdivision extends from Sharon Springs to Denver.
11/12/21
This large bridge crosses the Big Blue River near its mouth at the Smoky Hill River, where it forms the Kansas River.
Comprised of three main spans, it was originally set further west containing two spans. When the river created a new channel in 1908, the bridge was moved to its current location.
In addition, a third span was used. It is unknown where this third span may have come from, or if it was built new.
The bridge features a trip of riveted Quadrangular Through Trusses. This design of truss is relatively rare in Kansas and Missouri.
Historic photo of the bridge
Fortunately, the bridge has had little alteration since construction. The one alteration is the replacement of the original portal bracings to be able to accommodate larger trains.
The bridge rests on concrete substructures, setting it apart from many other spans used in this area.
Despite the historical integrity of the bridge, no builders plaques are evident.
The bridge remains in great condition and is well maintained, although is not part of the busiest mainline across Kansas.
The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the low number of Quadrangular Trusses in the region.
The photo above is an overview. The bridge can be accessed from a parallel road.
| Upstream | BRR Big Blue River Bridge |
| Downstream | Mouth at Kansas River |