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By 1986, parts of the bridge's roadway were already in need of replacement. This was completed that same year.<ref name=":0" /> |
By 1986, parts of the bridge's roadway were already in need of replacement. This was completed that same year.<ref name=":0" /> |
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[[File:SouthboundLibertyBendBridgeMissouriRiver.jpg|thumb| |
[[File:SouthboundLibertyBendBridgeMissouriRiver.jpg|thumb|right|The bridge from the north in 2021]] |
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Construction of a second bridge started in 1996. It was completed and opened to traffic in 2001. With the completion of the new bridge, all traffic was moved over to the new span. Work immediately began on rehabilitating the original bridge. The bridge was rehabilitated once again; the steel deck was replaced with concrete, structure repaired, and . The northbound bridge reopened in 2005, at which point the new bridge was converted to carrying southbound traffic. |
Construction of a second bridge started in 1996. It was completed and opened to traffic in 2001. With the completion of the new bridge, all traffic was moved over to the new span. Work immediately began on rehabilitating the original bridge. The bridge was rehabilitated once again; the steel deck was replaced with concrete, structure repaired, and . The northbound bridge reopened in 2005, at which point the new bridge was converted to carrying southbound traffic. |
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Revision as of 18:50, 15 May 2024
Liberty Bend Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 39°10′04″N 94°23′42″W / 39.1679°N 94.395°W |
Carries | Route 291 |
Crosses | Missouri River |
Locale | Sugar Creek, Missouri |
Characteristics | |
Design | Continuous truss bridges |
Material | Steel |
Total length | 1,883.3 feet |
Longest span | 460.1 feet |
Clearance above | 16.5 feet |
History | |
Opened | 1927 (first span) 1949 (second span) 2001 (third span) |
Location | |
The Liberty Bend Bridge is the common name for the two continuous truss bridges on Route 291 over the Missouri River in Sugar Creek, Missouri in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Although the bridges cross over the Missouri River, they do not cross the county line. When the Missouri River was rerouted in 1949, it cut across the northern part of Jackson County, Missouri. This left part of the county north of the river, which is known as River Bend. The original Liberty Bend Bridge was located about two miles to the north, which then crossed over into Clay County, Missouri.
The main span length is 460.1 feet and the total length is 1,883.3 feet. Vertical clearance is 16.5 feet. The northbound deck has a width of 23.9 feet, and the southbound bridge has a width of 40 feet. The northbound bridge is taller than the southbound one, though the southbound bridge is wider and was made using contemporary construction techniques.
History
The first Liberty Bend Bridge was a cantilever truss bridge. It opened to traffic in 1927.
US 71 Bypass was routed over the bridge in 1939.
In the late 1940s, Missouri Route 291 was planned to be relocated about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of where the previous route traveled. The Mount Vernon Bridge Company constructed the bridge. Construction on the bridge and deconstruction of the roadway it replaced, which was started at the same time as the Liberty Bend, began in 1947.[1] and was completed in 1949. That same year, the bridge was opened.[1] Missouri Route 291, was then routed onto it. At this point, the old 1927 bridge was repurposed to carry traffic over a new pair of railroad tracks.
In its first couple months of operation, the new bridge carried traffic over dry land; this was done to save money, it would cost less to build the bridge before the Liberty Bend was completed. On April 16, 1949, the waterway was completed, at which point the water began rushing under the new bridge. When it was built, it was only 10 feet wide and 15 feet deep, though the river would be widened by erosion, creating a new path under the new bridge that would reach 1,000 feet across on its own.[2]
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Missouri Route 291 was rebuilt into a four-laned highway along the east side of the old highway, and a pair of new girder bridges were built alongside the 1927 Liberty Bend Bridge. At that point, the old span was closed and slated for demolition; it was entirely gone by 1973.[3]
In 1984, the bridge was redecked, with this the old concrete deck was replaced by a new steel grid deck.[1]
By 1986, parts of the bridge's roadway were already in need of replacement. This was completed that same year.[1]
Construction of a second bridge started in 1996. It was completed and opened to traffic in 2001. With the completion of the new bridge, all traffic was moved over to the new span. Work immediately began on rehabilitating the original bridge. The bridge was rehabilitated once again; the steel deck was replaced with concrete, structure repaired, and . The northbound bridge reopened in 2005, at which point the new bridge was converted to carrying southbound traffic.
On July 7, 2009, a routine inspection revealed serious problems with the northbound bridge. MoDOT immediately closed the span indefinitely. In a few days a temporary (permanent/paved) crossover was constructed, allowing the rerouting of northbound traffic to share the southbound bridge while repairs were completed. The span opened for traffic in September 2009.[4]
Future
There are currently plans to build a new northbound span. However, this would also require that the historical northbound bridge be moved by a unrelated entity. It would not cost them any money, however they would be required to pay moving the bridge through their own money. The offer only lasts until September 30, 2024. The replacement bridge is estimated to cost $87,500,000, and construction of the new span will not begin until at least 2027.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d https://historicbridges.org/missouri/mo291/inventory.pdf
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uug4ae6TJV4
- ^ "Independence-Liberty Bridge". Bridgehunter.com.
- ^ http://libertytribune.com/200907074553/breaking-news/breaking-news/northbound-missouri-highway-291-bridge-closed.html
- ^ https://fox4kc.com/news/missouri-news/how-you-can-own-a-missouri-river-bridge-for-free-if-you-remove-it/