MISSOURI HISTORIC BRIDGE INVENTORY FORM

Present name:
The Twelfth Street
Trafficway Viaduct
Kansas City MO
Bridge No. S030B1 		  Historic Name:
Same
County:
Jackson 		Type of Bridge: Stone
Metal Truss
Covered Wooden Truss
Concrete           XXX
Other
Township:
T49N 		RANGE
344W		 Section
S6
Description of Location
The Twelfth Street Trafficway Viaduct, sited on an east/west axis over several city streets including Hickory, Mulberry, Santa Fe and Bluff Streets, and Beardsley Road, is bounded by I-35 on the east and Wyoming Street on the west. Other features spanned by the structure include: Kansas City Terminal Railway Track Nos. 79, 80, 81, 82, and 2075 at the arch span (span No. 25), track no. 70 at span No. 40, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway track No. BN70 at span No. 36. I-670 lies to the south of the bridge. Liberty Street accesses the upper level of the bridge on the west and I-35 on the east. Hickory Street bounds the lower level on the west and Beardsley Road on the east.
HISTORICAL DATA
Date of Construction:
1915 		Engineer
Waddell and Harrington
Kansas City, Missouri 		Builder
Graff Construction
Company, Seattle,
Washington
DESIGN DATA

Structural Design:
The dual deck reinforced concrete span features 45 upper deck concrete girder spans, 27 deck girder spans at the lower level and a 134' bowstring arch.
Number of Spans:
1;45 		Number of Roadways:
bi-level 		Number of Walkways:
one at the upper level;
none at the lower level.
Access from east and
west approaches only
Length:
2,265 feet (see Note No. 3 below) 		Width
52 feet
Bridge Roadway
Width: 52 feet,
Curb to Curb 		Height
118 feet (maximum; varies)
(see Note No. 3 below)
Approaches
Earth-filled (upper deck)
Abutment Material:
Concrete 		Deck Material
Concrete 		Pier Material
Concrete
Original Site?
Yes 		Moved?
N/A 		When Moved?
N/A
Legal Load Condition:
As originally planned: 50 Tons. (see Note No. 1 below)
Current Live Load Rating: (see Note No. 2 below)
Other Surveys in Which Included:
Missouri Statewide Bridge Survey (HAER Inventory) by Fraserdesign, Loveland, CO
September 24, 1994.
History and Significance:
Eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under criteria A and C and is significant in the areas of Community Planning and Development, Engineering and Transportation. (See attached history and statement of significance)
Description of Environment:
Located in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri's Central Industrial District, this unique landmark span links a large portion of truck traffic from I-35 and I-70 to this industrial section.
Note No. 1:
Based on ASCE: Paper No. 1357 (see bibliography), the slab under the electric streetcar tracks was designed for 2-coupled 50-ton cars. The slab for the vehicular roadway was designed for Class A loading. The girders and the arch rib were designed for 2-coupled 40-ton cars under the tracks and Class B loading for the roadway. From the Concrete Engineer's Handbook, 1918, definitions for Class A and Class B loadings were described as follows: Class A loading is "designed to carry one 20-ton truck, with axles about 10 ft. c. to c., 14 tons on rear axle and 6 tons on fore axle with wheels about 5 ft. c. to c ...and that the remainder of the bridge to be covered with a load of about 100 psf, for spans up to 60 ft." Class B loading "is designed to carry one 15-ton truck, with axles 10 ft. apart, 5 tons on the front and 10 tons on the rear axle ...and that the remainder of the bridge to be covered with a load of about 90 psf for spans up to 60 ft."
Note No. 2:
"The Kansas City, Missouri, 1998 Biennial Inspection Report" appears to only address the upper deck. The load rating assigned to the overall structure is an HS loading of 36 tons for Inventory Level Rating and an HS loading of 48 tons for Operating Level Rating. This report does not provide any information regarding the lower deck, but it is known that it is posted for a maximum load limit of 3-tons.
Note No. 3:
Based on the bridge plans, 2049 ft. was reported for the length of the bridge, compared to 2054 ft. in addition to 183 ft. for the west approach, as stated in "The 1998 Biennial Bridge Report." The total, therefore, would be tabulated at 2237 ft. Furthermore, Paper No. 1357 listed the bridge as 2300 ft. long, 60 ft. wide and 120 ft. high. As a result, it is unclear as to the most accurate dimensions to state in this report.
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