Construction of the Des Moines River Bridge on the High Trestle Trail began in September 2009.  The Contractor worked through the winter and has set all the concrete beams on the existing piers.  View construction photos here.  Construction of the bridge deck is complete and installation of the railing has begun.  View videos of the construction here. Progress has been steady and will continue through the summer.  Construction of the bridge is anticipated to be complete in late Fall 2010. 

The bridge will span 2,300 feet over the Des Moines River between Madrid and Woodward.  At 130 feet tall, it will be one of the largest trail bridges in the country.  The bridge will offer six overlooks, great places to take in the breathtaking views of the river valley.

Channel 13 aired a short news story about the trail and bridge. To watch the news clip and fly with Chopper 13 as it views the bridge piers from the sky, Click Here.

It's difficult to understand from pictures just how high the piers rise out of the valley floor into the sky. The piers are remnants of the abandoned railroad and bridge structure that crossed the wide Des Moines River valley with a meandering river and lush marsh area below it.

In the late fall and winter the flat railroad bed streaming out into the valley sky is very apparent. From atop the old bridge abutment, one can see the expance of the valley carved out by the river.

Each one of the very stable piers is constructed of thousands of pounds of steel and concrete. Beginning in 1971, the piers supported the incredible weight of the railroad bridge and cars, and now soon will simply support a trail bridge. Once constructed, the bridge will serve local, state, and national trail goers for many years. This area's geology and rich history of coal mining has influenced the design of this bridge. Monoliths showcasing seams of coal embedded in limestone will greet you as you near each end of the bridge, and steel cribbing will echo the geometry of old mine shafts.  The artist’s renderings of the bridge can be viewed here.