Pony Plate Girder Bridge - Katy Trail over Little Tavern Creek - near Bluffton, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 42.603 W 091° 40.516
15S E 615179 N 4285434
This bridge is at mile marker 113.6, almost exactly half way between Bluffton (2.7 miles) and Portland (2.3 mile).
Waymark Code: WMT0E0
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 09/03/2016
Views: 0
County of bridge: Warren County
Location of bridge: Katy Trail State Park, mile marker 113.6, W. of Bluffton, E. of Portland
Type Bridge: Deck plate girder
Bridge span: 60 feet
"Simple deck beam bridges are usually metal or reinforced concrete. Other beam and girder types are constructed of metal. The end section of the two deck configuration shows the cross-bracing commonly used between beams. The pony end section shows knee braces which prevent deflection where the girders and deck meet.
"One method of increasing a girder's load capacity while minimizing its web depth is to add haunches at the supported ends. Usually the center section is a standard shape with parallel flanges; curved or angled flanged ends are riveted or bolted using splice plates. Because of the restrictions incurred in transporting large beams to the construction site, shorter, more manageable lengths are often joined on-site using splice plates." ~ http://pghbridges.com/ Bridge Basics - A Spotter's Guide to Bridge Design
"The expedition did not stop at Montbrun's Tavern, although members were aware of its existence. It is unclear why both this shelter cave and Tavern Cave were called "Taverns." River travelers probably used them as camping shelters whose spacious and dry interiors provided protection against the elements. Given the sparse populations along the lower Missouri, it is unlikely that either shelter was a business establishment. The site appears on a map Lewis and Clark had with them that had been prepared by James Mackay and John Evans. Tavern and Little Tavern Creeks, in today's Callaway County, were probably named after Montbrun Tavern.
"Sadly, Montbrun Tavern, or Cave, does not exist today. Most likely it was destroyed by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad during track construction in the 1890s, or during quarrying by the U.S. Corps of Engineers in the 1930s. A few smaller overhangs still exist along the creek bluff. The Lewis and Clark Expedition continued upriver another 15 miles before camping opposite present-day Mokane." ~ Missouri Department of Natural Resources