National and State Registers of Historic Places
Mack (John) Bridge
South Broadway across the Big Arkansas River
Wichita (Sedgwick County)
Listed in National Register
Jan 22, 1992
Architect: James Marsh, Edward Tomlinson
Category: road-related
Thematic Nomination: Rainbow Arch Bridges of Kansas
Spanning the Big Arkansas River along South Broadway in Wichita, the John Mack Bridge is the largest Marsh Arch Bridge in Kansas. The Marsh Engineering Company of Des Moines, Iowa designed the eight span bridge in 1929. Work on the bridge began on January 30, 1930. On July 22, 1931, the bridge was dedicated in the name of John C. Mack, a newspaper publisher, senator, and member of the Kansas State Highway Commission. The dedication ceremony was attended by thousands of people who danced to the music of the Bob & Laura Collins Orchestra on the brand new bridge. It was nominated for its association with the growth of Wichita and for its engineering.
