Rating:
8 votes

Costilla Crossing Bridge

Conejos County, Colorado, and Costilla County, Colorado

Photos 

Side view

Photo taken Oct. 2003 by Alan and Pat Nellis

BH Photo #101456

Map 

Facts 

Overview
Two-span Thacher through truss bridge over the Rio Grande on CR G east of Antonito
Location
Conejos County, Colorado, and Costilla County, Colorado
Status
Open to one-lane traffic
History
Built 1892 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Co.; rehabilitated 2006
Builder
- Wrought Iron Bridge Co. of Canton, Ohio
Design
Thacher through truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 154.8 ft.
Total length: 313.9 ft.
Deck width: 15.7 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 17.5 ft.
Recognition
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on February 4, 1985
Also called
Lobato Bridge
Old State Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+37.07907, -105.75589   (decimal degrees)
37°04'45" N, 105°45'21" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
13/432813/4103911 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Kiowa Hill
Average daily traffic (as of 2018)
43
Inventory numbers
NRHP 85000194 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
CO CON14.6E-00.0N (Colorado off-system bridge number)
BH 11814 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection report (as of March 2018)
Overall condition: Fair
Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 23.7 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com

Categories 

19th Century (7,560)
Built 1892 (227)
Built during 1890s (2,982)
Colorado (686)
Conejos County, Colorado (12)
Costilla County, Colorado (5)
Lally columns (310)
NR-listed (2,960)
One-lane traffic (7,606)
Open (39,880)
 Owned by county (20,781)
Pin-connected (3,901)
Rio Grande (34)
Span length 125-175 feet (4,219)
Thacher truss (14)
Through truss (15,053)
Total length 250-500 feet (5,224)
Truss (32,773)
Wooden deck (6,069)
Wrought Iron Bridge Co. (374)

Update Log 

  • June 10, 2019: Updated by Erik Hoffman: Added category "Lally columns"
  • November 22, 2015: New photos from Erik Hoffman
  • November 8, 2015: Updated by Erik Hoffman: Bridge reopened
  • June 16, 2005: Thad Roan reports bridge is closed, posted photos by Alan and Pat Nellis

Sources 

  • Thad Roan
  • Alan and Pat Nellis - anellis [at] socket [dot] net
  • Erik Hoffman - norcalroadswebsite [at] gmail [dot] com
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Comments 

Costilla Crossing Bridge
Posted September 19, 2007, by John A. Medina (johnmedina [at] centurytel [dot] net)

The Lobato (Costilla Crossing) Bridge has been restored and rededicated in May of 2006.

Costilla Crossing Bridge
Posted June 14, 2006, by Jim Hall (jimehall2 [at] cs [dot] com)

The bridge was reopened on May 27 2006

for more information and pictures go to www.slvdweller.com and click on Mesita

Costilla Crossing Bridge
Posted July 24, 2005, by SLV Dweller (info [at] slvdweller [dot] com)

According to Costilla County Commissioner Joe Gallegos, the county is currently in the process of obtaining grants for the restoration of the bridge. Known as the Old State Bridge, the Lobatos Bridge, or the Costilla Crossing, the bridge has been listed on the National Registry of Historic Structures (#85000194) since 1985.

The bridge was built in 1892 by Joseph F. Thomas, a civil engineer and the Conejos County Surveyor living in Manassa at the time. The bridge cost $8,400 and was purchased from the Wrought Iron Bridge Company.

According to his grandson, Clarke Echols, Joseph F. Thomas, received a commendation from the Colorado State Legislature for completing the construction ahead of schedule and under budget. It is said that at the time, it was the longest, highest, double-span steel-truss bridge west of the Mississippi River. His son, Ivan M. Thomas still lives north of Manassa less than a mile from where he father was living at the time the bridge was constructed.

More information at www.slvdweller.com