The Shawnee Street Overpass (also referred to as the Shawnee Road Bridge) is located in Kansas City, Kansas (Wyandotte County). The painting of the wall below the bridge highlights the unique arched overpass. The traffic that flows on Shawnee Road crosses over 7th Street Trafficway (US-169 and northwest of I-35). Visit here to see many images of the bridge.
This overpass was completed in 1932. The Concrete Engineering Company and Kansas City Structural Steel were involved with the building of this bridge. Kansas City Structural Steel of Kansas City, Kansas operated from 1901 to 1984, Kansas producing fabricated steel products for buildings, bridges, and other structures.
On August 27, 1983, this bridge was added to the Register of Historic Kansas Places, and on March 8, 1984, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2005, it was rebuilt.
The overpass represents later refinements of metal arch rib bridge construction & its combination with reinforced concrete elements; it is the only known example of this bridge type in Kansas. (Source.)
This bridge is 94 feet long and was widened in 1976 by Continental Steel & Conveyor, Inc. to 23.6 feet. It was also repainted and resurfaced. The bridge has four main parts:
- Roadway deck (widened in 1976)
- Deck supports (spandrel framing)
- Two arch rings that come out of the reinforced concrete abutments
This bridge and its metal arch rib bridge construction is the only one of its kind in Kansas. The bridge was built around the same time the Seventh Street Trafficway was being constructed.
Bridges have been an integral part of our lives. They provide us with a safe and efficient way to cross rivers, valleys, and other obstacles that would otherwise be impossible to get across. Without bridges, we would be limited in how far we could travel and the goods we could transport, wo they affect our daily routines plus our economy.
Bridges are more than just physical structures. They represent progress and they bring people together.
Thanks for reading!
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