Old railroad pillar causing big problems for Valley Falls

VALLY FALLS (KSNT) – A leftover railroad bridge pillar is causing big problems for the City of Valley Falls, but a team of workers hope to remove it soon.

The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad installed several big pillars to support an elevated railroad track during the 1970s. The pillars were installed over the Delaware River in northern Valley Falls after the creation of Lake Perry. While the railroad bridge has since disappeared, several of the large pillars, which once supported it, remain in place.

Wesley Lanter with the City of Valley Falls said there are five pillars located near the river. While four are currently the subject of a mural project by the Valley Falls Art Association, one is causing issues for the city.

“The pillar catches silt and debris flowing down the Delaware River,” Lanter said. “This buildup is harmful to the City of Valley Falls’ water intake and has created ongoing maintenance issues.”

Lanter said the pillar in the river has caused water flow problems for decades. He said that removing it would help resolve the issues.

“The city has repeatedly invested funds to clean debris and silt from the river,” Lanter said. “Removing the pillar should greatly reduce that ongoing expense and effort.”

The cost to remove the pillar isn’t known yet, as the project is still in the early planning stages. The City of Valley Falls is working together with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Kansas Army National Guard to remove the pillar.

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