Fairfax and Platte Purchase Bridges
The Fairfax Bridge and Platte Purchase Bridge were twin continuous truss bridge that carried on U.S. Route 69 over the Missouri River.
Description
The Fairfax Bridge, the older of the two, was the southbound span. It was long and had 13 spans on 15 piers.The Platte Purchase Bridge was the northbound span. Its biggest span was 465.96 feet, and it was 2552.19 feet long and had a deck width of 28.31 feet and vertical clearance of 15.02 feet. The bridge was named for the Platte Purchase.
At their ends were junctions connecting with Interstate 635 in Riverside, Missouri, and the Seventh Street Trafficway in the Fairfax District of Kansas City, Kansas.
History
Fairfax Bridge alone
Ground was broken April 21, 1931, with the bridge opening on September 27, 1934, at a cost of $600,000. It was built by the Kansas City Bridge CompanyTwin bridges
A second bridge was opened in 1957 to alleviate traffic concerns on the older Fairfax Bridge. The Platte Purchase Bridge carried northbound traffic, while the older span carries southbound traffic. This bridge was named for the Platte Purchase.At this point, the Farfax Bridge was restriped to carry two southbound lanes.
Replacement
In 2013 plans were announced for replacement of both the Fairfax Bridge and the Platte Purchase Bridge. The Fairfax Bridge was scheduled for demolition first in early 2015, with the bridge closed to all traffic on October 31, 2014, and traffic routed to the Platte Purchase Bridge. The Platte Purchase Bridge was then restricted to handling two-way traffic.The Platte Purchase bridge was set for demolition in late 2016 when the new bridge opened. The first detonation occurred on the morning of Friday, December 9, 2016, and the rest of the bridge was demolished on Thursday, January 12, 2017.
The replacement bridge was formally opened by the Missouri Department of Transportation on March 16, 2017.