According to the Commission Meeting Minutes of Cowley County, Kansas, a plan has been set underway to replace the historic Pudden/Esch’s Spur/Kirk Bridge with the aid of state funds that would be granted in 2025 to replace this structure with a modern bridge. Reports are also being floated that there may be plans in the future to replace the double-arch Rock Creek stone bridge in Cowley as well. In the case of the Pudden Bridge concerns have been expressed about the long detours that the several residents and landowners of the area have needed to take since the bridge’s closure in 2016, which difficulty either repairing or replacing the bridge would rectify. There has been at least one concern expressed that even if repaired the bridges wouldn’t meet the requirements of modern equipment needs, though this difficulty could still be rectified depending on the scope of a hypothetical rehab project; see Improving a Stone Arch Bridge’s Serviceability by Strengthening: Part 2 and Widening a Stone Arch Bridge.
We have often discussed the sad state of the triple-arch Pudden Bridge located near Dexter, Cowley County, Kansas. After a recent visit to the site, we noticed there had been a general clearing of overgrowth and debris around the bridge. This prompted some investigation, with the abovementioned result.
The Pudden Bridge is one of the largest stone arch bridges in the state, and a significant part of Cowley’s heritage (see Esch’s Spur Bridge: Its Legacy). It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cowley has long been known as the Stone Arch Bridge Capital of Kansas, but the county has been steadily loosing its stone bridges over the last couple decades. At this point, Cowley County has but 13 stone arch bridges (as opposed to culverts) actively carrying traffic that are recognized by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT); this number includes the Rock Creek Bridge. Pudden Bridge makes up a fourteenth bridge (versus culvert) that is publicly accessible. For perspective, Butler County, Kansas, currently has 19 stone arch bridges (again, as opposed to culverts) actively carrying traffic that are recognized by KDOT. Cowley’s primary fame, then, comes from its large, breathtaking spans, for Cowley historically was a county that used the stone arch construction unreservedly even for daring structures. Pudden Bridge is the largest, and the Rock Creek Bridge is also a sizable one.
While it may not be too late to save the Pudden Bridge and the damage, though serious, is quite repairable (see Repair of Partially Collapsed Arches), the fact remains that this bridge is definitely in imminent danger of being lost. While the general clearing of debris around the structure seems a hopeful sign, it may also be related to the “preliminary engineering” mentioned in the Cowley County Commission Meeting Minutes that would be required for a replacement bridge. Ultimately, it is up to the people of Cowley to decide the fates of the Pudden Bridge as well as the Rock Creek Bridge.
Update: Pudden Bridge was demolished late 2025.
Stone Arch Bridges 