A family is recovering after driving into a large hole on a historic bridge on Friday night. The hole developed on the 96-year-old bridge after recent heavy rain in the area, according to Franklin County’s public works director, Jeff Welton.A man was driving with his wife, their daughter and grandson around 5:30 p.m. in a Ford F-250 truck when he noticed a shadow in the road.The man told deputies he later realized it was a hole when he could not swerve out of the way. The two women in the truck went by ambulance to AdventHealth in Ottawa, according to a Kansas Motor Vehicle Crash report obtained under the Kansas Open Records Act.The driver told sister station KMBC he is glad his family is alive but respectfully did not wish to provide any more comments.Last week, Franklin and Miami counties received rounds of heavy rain and storms.“I was out this morning with the engineers,” Welton said on Monday. “They’re pretty confident, as well as I am, that this was due to the recent storms and the weather, extreme rains that we got.”Bridge condition was rated ‘poor’KMBC 9 Investigates also discovered the bridge in question over Middle Creek is rated in “poor condition,” according to a standardized scale on the Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory.Ratings are calculated in good, fair, and poor categories.A poorly rated bridge does not mean it is unsafe. The rating simply calls attention to its condition to prioritize repairs.It was first listed as poor in 2023, according to Welton. It was reinspected in 2024.The bridge received its last inspection on July 2, 2025. On an inspection report, an engineer found:Heavy rust at flow line of metal archMultiple holes.Arch showing signs of stress ( bending downward).Head walls with stone deterioration.Deterioration at flow line of both north and south sidesCorners at north flow line bent and allowing water to flow behind and between stone and metal arch culvertHeavy stone and mortar deterioration at flow lineBut Welton told KMBC the engineer did not see enough to take the bridge out of service.In fact, more than 38,000 “poor” rated bridges are still in service across the country, according to a Hearst Television Data Team analysis of the U.S. National Bridge Inventory. That’s a significant drop from more than 86,000 in 1992.But a growing number of bridges across the country are in “fair condition,” in need of repairs.Last year, the county applied for $1.2 million in federal funding to make repairs to the bridge, according to Welton, but they were still waiting to hear back on funding. He said due to the bridge’s historical status, there are several more steps to take than a normal bridge repair request before making sure repairs are complete.Next steps for bridgeWelton said the remaining portion of the bridge will have to come down. Barricades are standing to prevent drivers from driving through.The bridge has more than 500 crossings every day.“We’ll need to get the bridge back in place, especially before harvest,” he said.Welton said a recent disaster declaration for the area may help speed up funding requests for the bridge.
A family is recovering after driving into a large hole on a historic bridge on Friday night.
The hole developed on the 96-year-old bridge after recent heavy rain in the area, according to Franklin County’s public works director, Jeff Welton.
A man was driving with his wife, their daughter and grandson around 5:30 p.m. in a Ford F-250 truck when he noticed a shadow in the road.
The man told deputies he later realized it was a hole when he could not swerve out of the way.
The two women in the truck went by ambulance to AdventHealth in Ottawa, according to a Kansas Motor Vehicle Crash report obtained under the Kansas Open Records Act.
The driver told sister station KMBC he is glad his family is alive but respectfully did not wish to provide any more comments.
Last week, Franklin and Miami counties received rounds of heavy rain and storms.
“I was out this morning with the engineers,” Welton said on Monday. “They’re pretty confident, as well as I am, that this was due to the recent storms and the weather, extreme rains that we got.”
Bridge condition was rated ‘poor’
KMBC 9 Investigates also discovered the bridge in question over Middle Creek is rated in “poor condition,” according to a standardized scale on the Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory.
Ratings are calculated in good, fair, and poor categories.
A poorly rated bridge does not mean it is unsafe. The rating simply calls attention to its condition to prioritize repairs.
It was first listed as poor in 2023, according to Welton. It was reinspected in 2024.
The bridge received its last inspection on July 2, 2025.
On an inspection report, an engineer found:
- Heavy rust at flow line of metal arch
- Multiple holes.
- Arch showing signs of stress ( bending downward).
- Head walls with stone deterioration.
- Deterioration at flow line of both north and south sides
- Corners at north flow line bent and allowing water to flow behind and between stone and metal arch culvert
- Heavy stone and mortar deterioration at flow line
But Welton told KMBC the engineer did not see enough to take the bridge out of service.
In fact, more than 38,000 “poor” rated bridges are still in service across the country, according to a Hearst Television Data Team analysis of the U.S. National Bridge Inventory. That’s a significant drop from more than 86,000 in 1992.
But a growing number of bridges across the country are in “fair condition,” in need of repairs.
Last year, the county applied for $1.2 million in federal funding to make repairs to the bridge, according to Welton, but they were still waiting to hear back on funding.
He said due to the bridge’s historical status, there are several more steps to take than a normal bridge repair request before making sure repairs are complete.
Next steps for bridge
Welton said the remaining portion of the bridge will have to come down. Barricades are standing to prevent drivers from driving through.
The bridge has more than 500 crossings every day.
“We’ll need to get the bridge back in place, especially before harvest,” he said.
Welton said a recent disaster declaration for the area may help speed up funding requests for the bridge.
