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| Name | Highline Approach Viaduct (UP Connection) |
| Built By | Kansas City Terminal Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Kansas City Terminal Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Substructure Contractor | D. Munro of Kansas City, Missouri |
| Arkansas Bridge Company of Kansas City, Missouri (General Contractor) Kelly-Atkinson Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois (Erection Contractor) |
|
| Engineer | J.V. Hanna |
| Length | 475 Feet Total, 75 Foot Largest span |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete, Steel Tower and Steel Bent |
| Date Built | 1918, Rehabilitated 2005 |
| Traffic Count | 25 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/8/2016 |
As a large number of railroads began to serve Kansas City in the late 19th Century, there was a strong desire to streamline switching operations within the city. The Union Transit Company constructed approximately one mile in 1880 before being sold to the Kansas City Belt Railway in 1883, and Kansas City Belt Railway constructed 10 miles of railroad throughout the city between 1883 and 1910. The Kansas City Belt Railway line extended from near Argentine, Kansas to Air Line Junction. The Kansas City Terminal Railway was formed in 1906 as a consortium of 12 railroads operating in the city to streamline operations, construct a new Union Depot and improve operations after devastating flooding in 1903 destroyed much of the railroad infrastructure along the Kansas and Missouri Rivers. The Kansas City Belt Railway was merged into the KCT in 1910. A new Union Station and lines connecting to it opened in 1914, after years of planning and construction. A large viaduct, connecting into Kansas was opened in 1919. Today, KCT continues to operate the line, serving the railroads of Kansas City.
View an article about the construction of the Highline Bridge and Viaduct (Engineering News Record; Volume 80, Issue 9)
View an article about the construction of the Highline Bridge and Viaduct (Engineering News Record; Volume 80, Issue 9)
View an article about the construction of the Highline Bridge and Viaduct (Railway Age; Volume 64, Issue 10)
View an article about the construction of the Highline Bridge and Viaduct (Railway Review; Volume 67, Issue 8)
Located along Berger Avenue, this viaduct carries the Union Pacific Connection Track as part of the sprawling Highline Bridge and Viaduct complex. After the new Kansas City Union Station was constructed, a large complex of viaducts and connecting tracks were planned to connect to the station. Prior to the construction of this viaduct, passenger trains on the Union Pacific were required to use a track which was in constant use for industrial switching and freight operation, and cross a single track bridge over the Kansas River. By 1917, construction had begun on the network of viaducts which would connect the Kansas River bridge to various railroad yards. This particular viaduct would be constructed to allow easy access from the Union Pacific Railroad mainline to the Union Station.
The Union Pacific connection viaduct leaves the main west approach/Missouri Pacific connection viaduct between Kansas Avenue and Berger Avenue. The viaduct consists of ten deck plate girder spans, set onto steel towers, steel bents and a standard concrete abutment. The spans of the bridge consist of two 30-foot spans, one 40-foot span, two 45-foot spans, three 50-foot spans, one 60-foot span and one 75-foot span. The viaduct runs at a sweeping curve, and gradually loses elevation. The steel supports of the bridge are set onto shallow concrete foundations, and the deck of the bridge uses precast concrete deck panels. It appears the concrete deck panels replaced the original deck in 2005, when the bridge was rehabilitated. Additional portions of the girders and steel supports have also been strengthened and repaired. Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
| KCT 2nd Street Bridge |
| Highline Approach Viaduct (UP Connection) (This Bridge) |
| Highline Approach Viaduct (West) |
| Highline Bridge |
| Highline Approach Viaduct (East) |
Citations
| Builders and build dates | Engineering News-Record; Volume 80, Issue 9 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |