Interurban Railway Bridge

Interurban Railway Bridge. . , This portion of the Westboro-Canterbury Greenway Trail originally served as the right-of-way for the Kansas City, Clay County and St. Joseph Railroad. The "Interurban" was a passenger and freight rail system that operated from 1913-1933 on two routes. One served communities in Clay County, and the other served Platte and Buchanan Counties., The Interurban provided a convenient and comfortable way to commute from downtown Kansas City to Liberty and on to Excelsior Springs. The entire trip took a little over an hour, and trains were scheduled at 45-minute intervals. Approximately 100 feet west of this marker, the trail passes over a stream on a Luten arch bridge constructed of steel-reinforced concrete. , Interurban trains, which could travel up to 75 miles per hour, were powered by large electric motors. Near this marker is a concrete footing that once supported the structure for the overhead lines that provided the electricity. , As hard surface roads replaced the poorly paved roads of previous decades, the Interurban faced increased competition from auto travel and bus services. This right-of-way was abandoned by the railroad in 1933, and utility companies were granted easements which today are used for modern overhead power lines. These lines make it very easy to visualize the route that the Interurban followed in this area long before development of the Westboro and Canterbury neighborhoods.