Of all the truss bridges photographed in the Fairfax-Burbank part of Osage County, my personal favorite was this bridge. Built in 1916 by the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company of Leavenworth, Kansas, it is a good example of a larger riveted Warren pony truss in a state dominated by the Pratt family of truss bridge designs. By the late 1920's, this bridge was carrying traffic for the newly established state highway 18.
The first photo is from the south, uphill of the bridge. This bridge, and its modern replacement 1/4 mile to the west, mark the second time that OK 18 crosses Salt Creek in Osage County. OK 18 crosses Salt creek a total of three times.
Below is the builder's plaque. Only the south plaque survives today. The existence of a north plaque is marked only by molested screw heads.
Above is a close side view of this fine bridge. The supporting piers are finely tapered concrete. Steel stringer approach spans flank both the north and south ends of the bridge. The deck of this bridge is concrete.
In this shot we see as flat a side view as I could get. Warren can be made much shallower for a given length than a Pratt truss can. This bridge has a very low and long appearance.
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