Narrative Description and Significance

Bridge K0936 carrying Highway 40 over Salt Creek and the Katy Trail is a 1941 steel wide-flange girder and plate girder span. It has two wide flange girder approach spans (52’ and 53’), three plate girder main spans (80’, 100’ and 80’) and three plate girder approach spans (67’, 78’ and 67’). The bridge has a total length of 578’. The bridge has a deck width of 26’ curb-to-curb with concrete curbs and a concrete baluster railing. The bridge is curved.

 The bridge was constructed by Otto W. Knutson for a cost of $108,219.47 during improvements to Highway 40. Highway 40 was the major east-west highway across central Missouri and the main connection between St. Louis and Kansas City. The bridge, built largely to standardized plans, required special consideration because the site required a curved design to accommodate the crossing of the then-active MK&T Railroad, Salt Creek and the local topography. The bridge is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places under criterion C for local significance in engineering.

 MoDOT’s Historic Preservation Section is now accepting proposals for the relocation and reuse of the bridge or its components until March 16, 2020. A proposal checklist is available MoDOT’s Free Bridges website (http://www.modot.org/freebridges/). Preservation covenants may accompany the bridge.