Intercity Viaduct

Lewis and Clark Viaduct

Intercity and Lewis and Clark Viaducts. Intercity Viaduct is left, Lewis and Clark Viaduct is right.
Coordinates 39°06′48″N 94°36′54″W / 39.1133°N 94.6149°W / 39.1133; -94.6149Coordinates: 39°06′48″N 94°36′54″W / 39.1133°N 94.6149°W / 39.1133; -94.6149
Carries 7 lanes of I-70 / US 24 / US 40 / US 169 (3 westbound, 4 eastbound); bike/pedestrian path
Crosses Kansas River
Locale Kansas City, KansasKansas City, Missouri
Official name Lewis and Clark Viaduct
Maintained by KDOT and MoDOT
Characteristics
Design Deck truss
Width 52 ft (15.8 m)
Longest span 3,777 ft (1,151.1 m)
Clearance above 29 ft (8.8 m)
History
Opened 1907 (1907) eastbound, 1962 westbound
Statistics
Daily traffic 23,500

The Intercity Viaduct (officially the Lewis and Clark Viaduct since 1969) is an automobile and pedestrian crossing of the Kansas River in the United States. Designed by Waddell and Hedrick, this four lane, two level deck truss bridge was built in 1907. It rises above the West Bottoms, and several sets of railroad tracks. It was the first roadway bridge to connect Kansas City, Missouri, with Kansas City, Kansas, non-stop all the way across. It is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and carries Interstate 70 (I-70) eastbound traffic, while its sister bridge, the Lewis and Clark Viaduct, built in 1962, carries westbound traffic.

The eastbound lanes were built as the Intercity Viaduct, carrying both east and west lanes, but renamed the Lewis and Clark Viaduct on January 25, 1969, taking the name of its sister bridge that would now carry the westbound lanes, built in 1962 to the north.

History

The Intercity Viaduct in 1908, streetcar tracks in view at right. Lewis and Clark Viaduct not yet built

Designed by the engineering firm Waddell and Hedrick in 1903, the viaduct followed a flood that same year that wiped out all but one of the 17 bridges that spanned the Kaw River.[1] Ground broke to mark the building of the bridge in 1905.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Intercity bridge spans two states". Kansas City Kansan. March 2, 1986. Retrieved June 23, 2010 via Kansas City Public Library.
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