Still More Kansas Trivia

"South of Ashland, the Rock Island Bridge is the longest of its kind. It measures 1,200 feet long and is 100 feet above the Cimarron River."

What this trivia tidbit doesn't tell you is (1) what kind of bridge it is, (2) what type of traffic it carries, (3) where it really is, and the name of the bridge. The answers are (1) steel deck truss, (2) rail traffic (For those who have never heard of the Rock Island Railroad, it's a pretty good road.), (3) Seward County along side US Highway 54 about 11 miles northeast of Liberal in Southwest Kansas, and (4) Samson of the Cimarron. It is nowhere near Ashland. Some cub reporter or intern must have done the research for the trivia sheet the El Dorado Times paid money for. They should get part of their money back.

Now, do you have the full picture? Probably not, because to see the bridge immediately tells you that it is something special. It's a beast of a bridge on concrete pylons and seems to go on forever. It's the type of bridge that, if you're a photographer, you pull over and take a picture of it. For a look at the bridge and some more facts, click here.