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.
06/26/21
Located on the north side of Topeka, this large through girder bridge was built to cross Soldier Creek in response to a flood control project.
During the flood of 1951, Soldier Creek was one of the key issues for Topeka flooding. Because that flood devastated the area, the Army Corps of Engineers decided to build a series of flood control projects. Included was a channelization of Soldier Creek.
Built in 1959, the consists of three through plate girder spans, set onto concrete substructures. Prior to 1959, Soldier Creek actually went further east and was crossed by an older through girder bridge near Calhoun Bluff Road.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no significant deteriorations or alterations noted.
The author has ranked this bridge as being minimally significant, due to the common design and newer age.
The photo above is an overview.