Highline Bridge
Highline Bridge with Union Pacific 844 as seen from the Kansas Avenue Bridge, October 2016
Coordinates39°05′03″N 94°36′39″W / 39.0843°N 94.6108°W / 39.0843; -94.6108
Carries4 tracks of the Kansas City Terminal Railway (KCTR), 2 on lowel level, 2 on upper
CrossesKansas River, Armourdale District
LocaleKansas City, Kansas
Maintained byBNSF Railway
Characteristics
Design2 level Thru-Truss, Deck Truss
History
Opened1919
Location
Overview of the KCTR's Highline-Santa Fe Jct.-Argentine Connection complex
Southeast approach of the Highline Bridge from Stateline Road crossing
Highline viaduct viewed from Chicago Jct. towards Santa Fe Jct.
Highline viaduct and Argentine Connection over "Frisco Jct.", north from the W 27th Street Bridge to Nowhere

Crossing the Kansas River in Kansas City, Kansas, the Highline Bridge is rare example of a double-tracked, double-deck railroad bridge designed for carrying railroad traffic on both levels. The bridge is owned and operated by the Kansas City Terminal Railway (KCTR) and provides access between the extensive rail yards on both sides of the river in the Argentine and Armourdale neighborhoods in Kansas City, Kansas and other rail yards in Kansas City, Missouri.

The current bridge was constructed between 1916 and 1919 as part of the improvements needed to relocate the Kansas City Union Station to its present location while still providing efficient access to railroads serving the station from the west and northwest. The upper deck is a critical link in the elevated Kansas City Highline viaduct originally constructed to carry passenger trains over several busy freight junctions west of the Union Station.[1] The roads using the bridge for passenger service at the time of construction included the Union Pacific; Chicago Great Western; Missouri Pacific; and Rock Island. Mainlines and junctions then crossed by the Highline included Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe; Kansas City Terminal; Chicago, Burlington and Quincy; The Katy; Kansas City Southern; and Frisco.[2][3]

Currently, the bridge handles freight traffic on both levels.

Construction and physical structure

Construction of the bridge and several miles of associated viaducts largely on the northwest side of river cost $3M and was part of $4.5M (approximately $100M adjusted for inflation to 2022) in total improvements needed for the terminal relocation project. The construction of the Highline Bridge was delayed several years beyond the 1914 opening of the new union station due to disagreement on route of the viaducts and location of stations serving Kansas City, Kansas.[4][5]

The current bridge replaced a 730-foot single-track bridge built in 1907 that consisted of two 300-foot Petit truss spans and a 130-foot approach on the west side. The piers of the old bridge had been constructed to accommodate double track and were reused. Since the old bridge carried approximately 180 train movements per day across the river it could not be removed from operation to accommodate construction. Due to the new bridge's greater height and width, it was constructed around the old bridge while it remained in service, although the existing tracks were centered and elevated so the new bridge floor could be constructed under it.

The current bridge consists of two reinforced Baltimore truss sections built on the original masonry (each weigh 2,300 tons), extended to accommodate the double-deck height, while the west approach was rebuilt as a 132-foot Warren truss such that the bridge is a through structure for the lower deck and a deck structure for the top deck.

All three truss sections that cross the river between the levees have lift jacks to raise the bridge above a high flood.[1]

Construction work was under the direction of J. V. Hanna, chief engineer, and G. E. Tebbetts, bridge engineer of the Kansas City Terminal. The general contractor for the entire project was the Arkansas Bridge Company of Kansas City, MO. The steel work was fabricated by the American Bridge Company at the Gary, IN plant, and was erected by the Kelly Atkinson Construction Company, Chicago, IL.

Santa Fe Junction / Chicago Junction

At ground level, below the Highline, is a complex network of tracks that the KTCR refers to as the "low line".[6] The immediate low line approach to the southeast end of the bridge is a full grand union,[7] with a three-quarter union immediately to the southeast and, originally, a butterfly union immediately to the northeast.[8]

Santa Fe Junction (previously A.T.&S.F. Junction) has been a name for the general location of the main grand union. The name is derived from the original KTCR name for the southwest junction of the main union; and that name appears on the Tower No. 3 (interlocking control tower) at that location. That junction was the KCTR's original connection to Santa Fe's property a short distance from the ATSF Argentine classification yard. The location is also, if less commonly, referred to as Chicago Junction from the KCTR name for the opposing northeast junction.[7][9] Originally, the Chicago Junction was the KCTR's connection to the nearby Chicago, Burlington and Quincy yard.[3][8] That yard and butterfly union were later removed, but the name was retained.[6]

Location and modern operation

Currently nearly all the trackage to the northwest of the bridge is under control of the Union Pacific, although the KCTR also owns and operates trackage and a yard as well. The bridge provides a connection for UP traffic on the KCTR to reach the extensive UP Armourdale classification yard, as well as connections to UP lines to the west (Kansas Subdivision) and northwest (Falls City Subdivision). On the east end, the upper level of the bridge continues to near the Kansas City Union station, while the lower level has connections with additional KCTR trackage and BNSF lines at Santa Fe Junction. This allows access to the BNSF Argentine classification yard as well as the Fort Scott and Emporia Subdivisions to the south and west respectively.

In 2004, the KCTR Argentine Connection flyover was completed to carry BNSF Southern Transcon traffic via a third level.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 "Not a Miscalculation". Kansas City Times. July 16, 1963. Retrieved 15 April 2022. [Above: Historical 1963 article about adding the lift system.] Not a Miscalculation but a step towards making this bridge flood-proof is the reason behind the 3-foot gap between the rails. U.S Army engineers made a preliminary test yesterday of the mechanism that will ultimately be able to raise the 730-foot, 7,750-ton, double deck Kansas City Terminal railway bridge 10 1/2 feet—well above any likely flood level. Electric motors that operate cylindrical hydraulic lifts (spires in center background) do the work. This view is from the west. Passenger trains of several railroads use the upper deck of the span to enter the Union Station. The lower deck is for freight movements. The bridge has remained in use during the improvement, but traffic was interrupted yesterday for the test. [The lifted deck in the photograph foreground is clearly the 132-foot Warren truss. All three trusses clearly have lift equipment at each end.]
  2. ↑ "The Milwaukee Road in Kansas City". The Milwaukee Road - Kansas City Subdivision. Retrieved 15 April 2022. [Junctions identified near the Highline: UP, AT&SF, KCS, KCT, MKT, SLSF, MP ]
  3. 1 2 "A.T.&S.F. JCT. Kansas City Division". The Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society. Retrieved 15 April 2022. AT&SF Junction, also known as Santa Fe Junction, was a favorite location of railfans in the Kansas City area. The junction is where the Santa Fe from Argentine Yard meets the Kansas City Terminal to Union Station. Also in the vicinity are the Frisco and Burlington. R.L. Crump/Priest Library, Temple Archives. [The map records a time when the low line junction was a 3/4 union and when Chicago Jct. connected the CB&Q Ry. yard, which has since been removed. Consistent with 1953 Operating Rules, the SW-NE crossing tracks are A.T.&S.F. property.]
  4. ↑ "Elevated Terminal Connection at Kansas City". Railway Age. 64 (10): 493–497. March 8, 1918.
  5. ↑ "'High Line' Construction for the Kansas City Passenger Terminal". Railway Review. 67 (8): 263–269. August 21, 1920.
  6. 1 2 Timetable and Special Instructions (PDF). Kansas City Terminal Railway. 2020. p. 6. Retrieved 15 April 2022. [p. 6] Station: North Chicago Location Jct 25th and State Line [grade crossing at public street intersection]
    [p. 13] Connection tracks 79 & 330 between North Chicago Junction and East end 10 of Kaw River Bridge. [p. 15] ... Departing Armourdale yard via low lines,
  7. 1 2 Operating Rules. Kansas City Terminal Railway. 1953. pp. 22–23. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
    The map is of the KCTR trackage; dashed lines indicating connecting track of other companies.
    Each of the four curved junction tracks are labeled as double tracks at this time, completing a grand union.
    Tower No. 3 is identified.
    The southwest junction points are labeled "Santa Fe Jct."
    The northeast junction points are labeled "Chicago Jct."
    The southeast junction points are labeled "Armourdale Jct."
    The adjoining Three-quarter union is labeled "Frisco".
  8. 1 2 Kansas City 1925, Missouri. Tuttle - Ayers - Woodward Co. 1925. Retrieved 15 April 2022. [The Book is for KCMO, the "low line" is only illustrated for the Missouri side, but shows enough to confirm the 3/4 union and the CB&Q Ry. yard.]
  9. ↑ Track Chart, Kansas City to Emporia via Ottawa Jct., Holliday to Emporia via Ottawa Jct., Ottawa Jct. to Tulsa (PDF) (1963 ed.). The A.T.&S.F. Ry System. 1960. p. Kansas City Division. Retrieved 15 April 2022. [Full grand union is now installed. Chicago Jct. is now specifically the NE points of the grand union, while the old lead to the CB&Q Ry. yard is just a "Yard Shack and Tool Ho[use]". ]
  10. ↑ "Spotlight on Kansas City Terminal Railway". Retrieved 2017-12-06. 2001 Argentine Connection Project • Effectuated 3-level grade separation on KCT • • • property just east of BNSF's Argentine Yard Spans in both Kansas and Missouri Part of BNSF's Transcon corridor Financed through $59 M bond offering Bonds guaranteed by the BNSF Completed during 2004
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