This beautiful Pratt Through Truss sits hidden in the woods near Easley, Missouri. It carries the Katy Trail over Little Bonne Femme Creek in a very isolated location. The bridge is very close the Missouri River, and is off of Smith Hatchery Road.
Built in 1898, it likely replaced a wooden trestle bridge. A&P Roberts Company did a significant rebuild of bridges along this line between 1895 and 1900. This bridge is a very unique structure, and appears to have possibly been an experimental structure.
While the Missouri DNR suggests that this bridge has been modified with new portal bracings, two identical spans exist at Pryor, Oklahoma and New Braunfels, Texas. The Pryor span was built in 1898, also by A&P Roberts; while the Texas span was built in 1901 by Phoenix Bridge Company. This seems to imply that this bridge has not been modified.
Currently, the bridge consists of a five panel, riveted Pratt Through Truss; set onto concrete substructures. There is evidence of strengthening, including high strength bolts and a helper bent.
It is worth noting most trusses in this era were constructed of pinned connections. A light weight riveted bridge is a very unique structure to see on any American railroad prior to 1900.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, despite requiring a helper bent. It is hoped that this span is maintained for years to come.
The author has ranked the bridge as highly significant. This is the only bridge along the Katy Trail to be awarded with this ranking. It has received this ranking due to the experimental and unique design of the truss. Although the truss is only in fair to decent condition, this bridge has been beautifully preserved.
The photo above is an overview.