CPKC Rush Creek Bridge (Liberty)

Liberty, Clay County, Missouri

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Northern spans during replacement process

1/23

Date Taken:

Author:

Caption:

Name	CPKC Rush Creek Bridge (Liberty) Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #I-852
Built By	Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway
Currently Owned By	Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited
Superstructure Contractor	American Bridge Company of New York
Substructure Contractor	Petersen, Shirley & Gunther of Omaha, Nebraska
Length	526 Feet Total, 75 Foot Main Spans
Width	2 Tracks
Height Above Ground	40 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Deck Plate Girder and Concrete Stringer
Substructure Design	Concrete
Date Built	1931
Date Replaced	2019
Traffic Count	0 Trains/Day (Bridge has been Replaced)
Current Status	Replaced by a new bridge
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Bridge Number	I-852
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Bridge Number	488.00
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	11/9/2019

In 1882, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) began construction on a new railroad line, extending from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Ottumwa, Iowa. The 40-mile line would be completed in 1884. By 1885, work was authorized to begin towards Kansas City, Missouri; a critical railroad hub in the Midwest. The extension opened in 1887, giving the Milwaukee Road a direct route between Chicago and Kansas City. The Milwaukee Road acquired and constructed a large amount of track throughout the Midwest during the 1870s and 1880s. At the Cedar Rapids suburb of Marion, the route connected to the Milwaukee Road mainline across Iowa. By the early 1900s, a direct connection to the Mississippi River town of Davenport was desired, and in 1901, the Rutledge Cutoff was completed. The cutoff extended from Rutledge, Iowa to Muscatine, Iowa, and allowed for a quicker way to access the Milwaukee Road facilities at Davenport, as well as shortened the travel time and distance from Chicago to Kansas City. Between Davenport and Muscatine, the railroad jointly owned a line with the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (Rock Island).

The Milwaukee Road operated this route as a principal mainline, and the line served as a primary connection between the two largest railroad hubs in the United States. The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928. Significant upgrades were made to the line in the 1930s and 1940s, although the line remained single tracked. In 1930-1931, the Milwaukee Road and Rock Island reconstructed their lines from Polo, Missouri to Kansas City, abandoning much of the original line. A new bridge into Kansas City was completed in 1945, further improving operations. In 1980, the Rock Island went bankrupt, and the Milwaukee Road purchased the Davenport to Washington, Iowa line; abandoning their own line between Washington and Muscatine. By 1985, a suitor for the Milwaukee Road was being sought, and the Soo Line Railroad, controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased the Milwaukee Road in 1986. In 1997, CP sold this line to I&M Rail Link, which later sold it to Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad (IC&E), a subsidiary of Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E). In 2008, DM&E and IC&E were purchased by CP. CP merged with Kansas City Southern Railway in 2023 to form CPKC, the current owner of this route. The CPKC operates the Ottumwa Subdivision between Davenport and Ottumwa, the Laredo Subdivision between Ottumwa and Laredo, Missouri; as well as the Kansas City Subdivision between Laredo and Kansas City. The route between Polo and Kansas City is shared with Union Pacific Railroad, which eventually acquired the former Rock Island line. This route now forms the principal mainline of the CPKC system, and traffic is expected to increase significantly over the coming years.

View an article discussing the reconstruction of this line

Located in Liberty, this massive deck plate girder bridge once crossed Rush Creek and Route H. The bridge was built in 1931 as the Rock Island and Milwaukee Road constructed a new alignment through the area. The bridge featured six 75-foot double track deck plate girder spans, approached by two 38-foot concrete stringer spans and set onto concrete substructures. The concrete stringer spans on the north approach are unique, as they utilize four parallel concrete beams, connected by concrete bracing. The piers utilized two large columns, connected at the top. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. The Polo to Kansas City project was a joint effort by the Rock Island and the Milwaukee Road to improve access to Kansas City from the northeast. The railroads coordinated to reconstruct the route, relocating the line where necessary. This segment between Mosby and Birmingham was reconstructed by the Milwaukee Road to replace a steep and windy grade that followed the Fishing River. This bridge was replaced in 2019 by a new concrete beam bridge, reusing the old piers and north approach. Overall, the bridge appeared to be in fair condition at the time of replacement, with some section loss throughout the girders. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design. The photos of this bridge were taken during the replacement process, when the southern three girders had already been replaced.

Citations

Builder and build date	Railway Age; Volume 91, Issue 21
Builder (superstructure)	American Bridge Company stenciling
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele