Wayne 34, J9P3218, Bridge J0935—Leeper Bridge, Highway 34 over Black River
The Leeper Bridge over the Black River is a 1933, twelve span bridge with eight steel girder approach spans (seven 47’ and one 48’ long), two 120’ Pratt through trusses and two 180’ Parker through trusses. The bridge has a 22’ wide concrete deck with concrete curbs and two tier channel railing
The Leeper Bridge replaced an earlier bridge constructed by Wayne County, common for large-scale bridges constructed in the 1920s and 1930s. The Leeper Bridge is distinguished because of its scale and types of spans used in its construction. It is among the longest of the bridges constructed in its era. While both the Pratt and Parker trusses were standard Missouri State Highway Department designs. The combination of them in a bridge of this length and with the degree of physical integrity that the Leeper Bridge retains is unusual.
The bridge is eligible for listing on the NRHP under criterion C for local significance in engineering.
