Sargent Bridge facts for kids
|
Sargent Bridge
|
|
|
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
|
|
Sargent Bridge across the Middle Loup River south of Sargent, Nebraska
|
|
 Location in Nebraska
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Dawson St. over the Middle Loup River, 1 mile south of Sargent |
|---|---|
| Built | 1909 |
| Built by | Standard Bridge Company |
| Architectural style | Pratt through truss |
| Demolished | 2019 |
| MPS | Highway Bridges in Nebraska MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 92000740 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | June 29, 1992 |
| Removed from NRHP | March 13, 2020 |
The Sargent Bridge was a special kind of steel bridge called a Pratt through truss. It crossed the Middle Loup River near Sargent, Nebraska. This bridge was very important because it was one of the last steel truss bridges built in Nebraska in the early 1900s.
Because of its history, the Sargent Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. Sadly, the bridge was destroyed by a big flood in 2019. It was then removed from the historic places list in 2020.
Contents
What the Sargent Bridge Looked Like
The Sargent Bridge was a Pratt through truss steel bridge. This design meant the main parts of the bridge went above the road. It had two sections, each about 120-foot (37 m) long.
When it was finished in 1909, people said the bridge was 242 feet (74 m) long in total. However, official records later showed its total length was about 136 feet (41 m). The bridge was 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, which is about the width of two cars.
Building the Sargent Bridge
Why a New Bridge Was Needed
On March 19, 1908, leaders in Custer County, Nebraska decided to build the Sargent Bridge. Before this, there was an old wooden bridge that cost a lot of money to fix. Building a new steel bridge was more expensive at first. But the county leaders believed it would save money on repairs over time.
Construction Begins
Work on the bridge started on November 19, 1908. The Standard Bridge Company was hired to build it. They were supposed to finish the bridge by October 13, 1908. The work was delayed, but the company only had to pay for extra costs if they missed the deadline.
The bridge was finally finished in early January 1909. A special committee from the county checked the bridge and said it was good to go.
The Cost of the Bridge
The Sargent Bridge was the first steel bridge ever built in Custer County. State engineers thought it would cost about $10,000 (which would be about $325,704 today). The county leaders first planned to spend $5,500 (about $179,137 today).
However, the riverbed had quicksand, which made building harder. The bridge supports had to be sunk 10 feet (3.0 m) deeper. This added another $1,500 (about $48,856 today) to the cost. So, the total cost for the bridge ended up being around $7,000 (about $227,993 today).
Later Years and Destruction
In 1920, Custer County asked Nebraska's highway department to update the Sargent Bridge. They wanted it to meet new state and federal standards. But money was never given to rebuild it. Even so, the bridge became part of US Highway 183.
In 1960, the highway route was moved a short distance east. The old 1909 bridge was then closed to public cars. The Middle Loup Irrigation District later took over the bridge.
In 1992, the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was one of the few multi-span steel truss bridges from the early 1900s still standing in Nebraska. At that time, one part of the bridge was broken, but it was still strong. It was used to get to a diversion dam.
In March 2019, large chunks of ice in the river, caused by heavy flooding, destroyed the bridge. The northern part of the bridge was carried about 80 yards downstream. It got stuck on the diversion dam. One end of the southern part was pushed off its support and twisted about 45 degrees. The remains of the bridge had to be removed from the river. This was done to prevent them from floating downstream and damaging the current Highway 183 bridge during future floods.
