The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-03
Burlington to Rebuild Hannibal
Bridge to Kansas City.
Traffic of Three Roads Over 1t
Demands the Change.
MORE IMPROVEMENTS.
Big Grain Elevator and Freight
Terminals to Be Built.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Kansas City, No, Jan. Announce
ment is made by J. NJ. Gruber, general
manager of the Burlington lines east of
the Missouri river that his road will IN
dertake some delayed. projects for Kan
sas City early this year which win in
clude the reconstruction of the Hanni-
bal bridge, the building of extensive
freight terminals in Clay county, and
the new freight house in the West bot
toms.
Mr.. Gruber was. here last week said
H. L. Harmon. general Southwestern
agent of the Burlington in Kansas City.
yesterday. He said that the work of
making these improvements would be-
gin this spring. In a general way the
plans provide for another freight house,
the removal of the roundhouse and re
pair shops in the yards adjoining the
union depot to Harlem, where thorough
ly modern and very extensive freight
yards are to be built. The yards viii
be modern in every respect, including a
gravity yard classification yards. stor-
age tracks and many other needed facil-
tiles Mr.. Gruber says that the actual
work will begin this spring"
The rebuilding Of the Hannibal bridge
is demanded because the structure is be-
coming old and there is also the neces-
sity of a double track bridge entrance
into Kansas City. The plans call for
the repair of the piers and new steel
superstructure which shall be wide
enough to accommodate two tracks.
The present structure is in need of re-
pair and is too small to take care of
the constantly growing freight and pas
senger traffic of the Burlington, Rock
Island and Wabash railroads, which use
the bridge.
Practically a complete new bridge will
-, ha no -
quire fine engineering skill, as the new
structure will have TO succeed the old
without interfering with traffic.
The Hannibal bridge was dedicated
July T. 1859. 1t has stood the strain of
constantly increasing traffic and the
swift current of the river for thirty-six
and one-half years. In all that time it
has undergone little or no change and
has received comparatively few repairs
A span was blown down by a hurricane
May II, 1886, and the draw span was in
jured in the flood of 1903. 1t is toll
bridge and is used by teams and pedes-
TRANS. There has been no estimat e
given of the cost of rebuilding the
bridge
It has been several years since definite
plans were made for extensive new
freight terminals The Burlington built
a big freight house in the West bottoms
in 1899, and it was inadequate before It
had been in use a year. Recently
ground was secured diEectly opposite
the present freight house, upon which
will be built another freight house,
which will double the present capacity
of the Burlington for handling freight.
The plans also include the building of
terminal yards in Clay county on a
strip 500 feet wide and two miles long
along the main track of the Kansas
City. st. Joseph & Council Bluffs rail-
road. Work has already been begun
on a I million bushel capacity elevator
in Clay county.