Rainbow Bridge (Brush Creek Bridge)

About

Built in 1923, three years before U.S. Route 66 was commissioned, the Brush Creek Bridge—better known as the Rainbow Bridge—is the only surviving fixed Marsh Rainbow Arch bridge on Kansas Route 66. The 130-foot reinforced-concrete span was part of an early paved road connecting the mining communities of Galena, Riverton and Baxter Springs, and became part of Route 66 in 1926. Its distinctive pair of sweeping concrete arches came from a design patented in 1912 by Iowa bridge engineer James Barney Marsh. Two other Marsh arches once stood along the short Kansas stretch of Route 66, but both were dismantled in the early 1990s, leaving Brush Creek as the route's sole surviving example of the type.

The bridge narrowly escaped the same fate when a newer crossing was constructed beside it in 1992. Preservationists successfully fought to retain the historic span, allowing Route 66 travelers to continue walking and driving across it while regular local traffic uses the modern bridge nearby. After celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023, Rainbow Bridge received another major preservation boost in 2025: its old coating was removed, the concrete was treated with epoxy and sealer, and the bridge was repainted before being formally rededicated that May. Today its bright white arches, old Route 66 pavement markings and quiet Brush Creek setting make it one of the most recognizable photo stops on Kansas's roughly 13-mile stretch of the Mother Road.

Get Directions