I was hoping there would be more of an update. But from looking at Bing maps where the images they have are in the winter (little brush covering the area), it appears the bridge is on the South Side of Chamber's Creek. Removed and set aside to rot.
Still a cool find if anyone can find the time to go there and get pictures! Very Interesting!!
This bridge is not abandoned and is now owned and used by the BNSF to service the Blue Bell ice cream factory.
The bridge was reopened later the same year it closed after the flood washed out the approach.
http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/Highway-78-reopened--3205...
My husband and I live fairly close to this area. We take rides into the country just about everyday so we see a lot of the bridges or what's left of them that you have listed here. I myself find them interesting, being from the big city of Fort Worth my husband is from here in Hamilton so he is used to them but at the same time he hasn't seen them since he was a boy.
I discovered this website by accident and I look thru it everyday, thanks.
When was the bridge built?
While slightly incorrect, this will SOON be the "only" swing bridge in Texas. Sargent Texas actually has the "only" remaining, State-operated swing bridge in the State of Texas. It is being replaced starting this year with a "corkscrew bridge" to facilitate uninterrupted barge and vehicle traffic.
When I am driving down a highway, and I see a sign "LOAD ZONED BRIDGE AHEAD" on a side road, that's an invitation to explore. Though I was hoping for a nice, picturesque, old truss, what I found on Krchnak Road near Smithville TX was unusual enough to be notable. You just don't see too many recycled flatcar bridges, and this one was made from two flatcars welded together lengthwise to form a wide enough roadway. The two guys fishing said they didn't know of any others like it in the area.
I pasted this originally in December of 2014, deleted the original today, and reposted an edited version.
As I understand it, this bridge is just a concrete deck bridge with DECORATIVE cable arrays. TXDOT did that to cut costs.
Back then, I felt like neither of the others would be built with Calatrava effects. The Calatrava effects on 3rd one was cancelled. The second one IS PURELY decorative and scaled back.
The bridge is closed for demolition and rebuilding to accommodate population growth.
NIB shows a T-beam built here in 1935, a possible replacement date for the lenticular.
Nice find Luke! Its quite interesting to see more of the Texas variety of the Lenticulars unearthed
We visited Smothers Creek Bridge today after seeing the article in the Hallettsville paper. This bridge and the creek are named after my ancestor so it was a meaningful experience for me. I believe the creek was named after William Smothers and there is a roadside sign in his honor a few miles south of Hallettsville on Hwy. 77.
Bad news;
http://www.reporternews.com/story/news/local/2017/06/20/uspi...
A "suspicious" early Sunday morning fire destroyed a historic wooden and steel bridge over the Colorado River near Ballinger, fire officials said Monday.
It took the Ballinger Volunteer Fire Department five hours to extinguish the Sunday morning fire. The investigation into the cause has been turned over to the Texas Fire Marshal's office.
Firefighters from the Ballinger Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fire called in about 9:20 a.m. Sunday.
When the firefighters arrived, they realized it was the 12-Mile Bridge, an abandoned wooden and steel structure that crosses the Colorado River alongside a modern bridge at County Road 129.
Volunteer firefighter Todd Cleary said, "Smoke had been reported earlier, and when it was confirmed it was in our county, we responded. It took about five hours to extinguish the blaze."
A Ballinger firefighter on Monday said the bridge is beyond saving. All of the wood on the east side of the bridge was destroyed, he said.
The three-span bridge is about 400 feet long and 12 to 13 feet wide.
NBI says replacement bridge was built 1938.
Here's what I believe to be a picture of this bridge taken in 1937. I believe it was bypassed and removed at this time when the SH29 rerouted to it's current day location and the new bridge was built.
So is this bridge going to be "repaired" OR "replaced"?
My 2 Pfennigs: people aren't paying attention. They are talking on their phones or otherwise distracted. Or they simply don't care.
So what gives with the open dump beds destroying bridges?
This has happened twice in less than a week. This bridge and the I610 Overpass over the Eastex Freeway (US59 / I69)
Seems like there is a problem! Either the trucks have been tampered with, there is a systemic parts problem, or this is not an accident.
I haven't pulled a dump trailer with a tractor, but I have driven a truck with a dump bed. It has lights that tell you if the bed is (or is not) in the proper position. Beepers when it is open and you are moving. The balance of the truck is different when you move it. It would seem to me as if the dump trailer were up, that it would act like a giant wind brake. I think I would notice it...
Something is sort of smelly here.
This is the Bridge where a key scene was filmed for the horror film "Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2"
Article with video:
http://www.wfaa.com/news/historic-highway-67-bridge-closed-i...
Are these truck drivers who do this born stupid, or do they go to some special school to learn how to be this stupid? It is ridiculous that in a developed country of educated human beings such as the United States that this sort of idiocy occurs more than once in a weeklong period. This idiot did not even have the sense to realize his situation in advance of the accident. How do you a Commercial Truck Driving License Holder not notice such a blatent problem while operating your vehicle? He was going so fast when he hit he not only sheared off the portal bracing entirely, he made it well into the span, tearing apart sway bracing as well.
Bridge is closed following an accident.
http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Truck-Damages-Truss-Bridge-...
I've been looking for this bridge for quite some time, as it was listed in older publications of extant Lenticular truss bridges and I was persistently optimistic that it had to be somewhere. Otherwise though, there isn't too much info to go on. It appears to be on private property of a ranch. In older info this was referred to as the Yancey Road Bridge, so either this is an old alignment of the road or the bridge was relocated from the adjacent Yancey Road.
Hopefully a bridgehunter from that region can find some more info on this bridge, or maybe knock on a door and see about getting some pictures!
This bridge is most definitely still in existence. These pictures were taken April 22, 2017
I believe this was the bridge featured at the start of the movie Varsity Blues. The town of Elgin was used as the fictitious town of West Caanan, but other parts were shot around Coupland and likely included this bridge.
Well, at least it's in Texas... Better odds that it will be preserved than not!
Possibly doomed:
http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Clifton--Historic-bridge-fa...
Does any one have older pictures of this bridge when it was in use?
I serve as the Chairman of the Montgomery County Historical Commission. The old truss bridge was built about 1910 for Montgomery County by the El Paso Bridge and Iron Company. It served as the old Highway 105 bridge spanning the San Jacinto River until the 1930's, but continued to be used by vehicles until the 1960's. The bridge is no doubt targeted for demolition as the adjacent FM 2854 will be widened in a few years. Our Historical Commission is currently working with local officials to find a way to move the iron bridge to another location in a Conroe city park.
Larry Foerster, Chairman
936-756-3337
Photographs #3 is described as the piers of the original bridge. In fact, this is the remains of a low water crossing that was, I believe, installed whilst the replacement bridge was under construction. The piers of the original bridge were constructed from large blocks of granite - many of which (perhaps all) are still lying around in the riverbed beneath the current bridge.
This is an interesting site. Thank you for making all this information available!
My money is on this one!
John Yoder, different than this one?
there is another Cummins Creek Bridge that does not show up on this site that looks like this one but is still open to traffic just off 159 on Willow Springs Rd
Appears to be on private property.
The photograph is dated 1909.
The location in the map is actually wrong and is the position of the new bridge built circa 1906. The original bridge was actually not quite 2 miles downstream (to the east)where the original ROW crossed the river valley in a broad left hand curve then ran along the east bank of the Clear Creek.
Here's the plan. We counted blocks in preparation for ordering. Very excited to do a simple job where it was affordable and will be an asset to the City of Rosebud.
Great to hear it's been properly done, it's difficult to see what's there in the pics. Kudos to all of you involved it's a beautiful project and piece of history.
Believe me I thought the same thing for a long time, was it supported on the first verticals, and how could that be! We will take lots of pictures though, and any repairs that might be required when we can visually inspect all of the shoes and lower chord will be made.
Gil,
As Julie mentions, the lower chord is a tension element. In other words, bowstrings (although usually called truss bridges) have a great deal in common with tied arch bridges. Sometimes that are called "arch/truss" bridges as a result. A failed (ie cut) lower chord would likely produce clear visual evidence even to non-engineers. As can be clearly seen in the photos, the bowstring retains its shape and form.
That said, there have been a number of people who have misunderstood the condition of this bridge (usually based on quick judgements using photos and not a site visit) and so I look forward to seeing this bridge project completed.
Engineered by our PE on the team. We are putting concrete locking blocks under.
Contracts mean all those details must be covered. Workin' Bridges, BACH Steel and SGI would not be in the business of preserving bridges without attention, these are bridges. We take it very seriously
Look more closely, it's in tension.
It just is buried in the dirt a little bit. Yes to engineered.
Holy Cow. Did they simply cut off the outer bottom chord panels? If so, unless an engineer somewhere analyzed and approved it, I predict it will fall if ever loaded... Someone needs to check into it for the sake of public safety.
The contracts are signed and this bridge's future is a lift. The BACH Steel Gang will head down to Texas this spring. The Parks Department got a grant and help from EDC of Rosebud to fund this project. I enclose some of the history they provided on where this bridge came from and when.
What started as a bridge hunt and a follow up, ends with a relatively easy fix, if you're Nels, Derek, Lee, Brock, Andy and the rest of the gang.
This bridge is on my neighbors property now...he won it at the city auction after it was removed and replaced with new bridge...
This bridge has been repaired (at a cost of almost $5 Million) and has been reopened to traffic. Below is a link to a news report confirming this:
http://kfdm.com/news/local/repaired-burrs-ferry-bridge-reope...
Fuqua Construction Co., Inc. Removed this structure in 2006
The Main Span is a 100.1 foot Pony Truss Span Built in 1936.
This Bridge was packaged and shipped to Navasota Texas.
Replicate Plans are now in the process and duplicate structures will be fabricated for shipment.
For Replicate Information Contact;
Gary W. Fuqua
Executive Manager
#Colorado River Draw Bridge
gary@fuquaconstruction.com
Fuqua Construction Co., Inc. Removed this structure in 1994
The Main Span is a 100.1 foot Pony Truss Span.
Other approach spans total 214 foot of short H-Beam on timber piles and wood deck.
This Bridge was packaged and shipped to Navasota Texas.
Replicate Plans are now in the process and duplicate structures will be fabricated for shipment.
For Replicate Information Contact;
Gary W. Fuqua
Executive Manager
#San Antonio River Bridge
gary@fuquaconstruction.com
This is an old picture of the bridge as it was before before it was removed and bypassed.
Two minor points.
This line from Austin to Georgetown was abandoned in 1976. Just north of this location, the Katy (MKT) crossed the Missouri Pacific and U.S. Highway 79 via overpasses (both lost).
The Katy did not go "out of business", it was acquired in 1989 by the Missouri Pacific (a subsidiary of the Union Pacific as of 1982) and the Missouri Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific in 1997.
A little interesting history behind this bridge:
This is the original "Jakes Bridge." Which is supposedly haunted.
Here is some theories to the "legend" by Texas Escapes:
Being a cotton farmer was not the easiest way to make a living, but if a man didn’t mind working from can see to can’t, he could get by and maybe save a little.
Texas farmers tilled the black soil to bring forth white fiber, battling the boll weevil and the vagaries of Texas weather to produce a crop each year. But some years, no matter how many hours a man and his family and hired hands put in grubbing and picking, forces beyond his control could suddenly control his life. When the price of cotton went down, all a man could do was hope the market rebounded next year. When it didn’t rain enough to keep his plants alive, he could pray for more rain next season, providing it didn’t all come at once in a flood.
But as the Depression began to worsen in the early 1930s, cotton didn’t come back. In 1929, cotton brought 16.9 cents a pound. Two years later, the price had fallen to less than 6 cents. Many farmers lost their land, their homes and finally, their spirit.
Maybe that’s what made Jake snap. No one seems to know his last name, but many people in Williamson County know about Jake.
For whatever reason, according to the story, Jake killed his wife and two children. When the reality of what he had done set in, he took his own life as well, hanging himself from a back road wooden bridge between Hutto and Pflugerville, near the Williamson-Travis county line.
That’s one story. Another has Jake being a young man who killed his parents, pushing the car containing their bodies off the rural bridge. Later, this story goes, Jake died in a house fire.
Whoever he was, and if he ever was, Jake seems not to have been a happy person. His spirit, some say, lingers around the bridge (since replaced by a more modern concrete structure) that figures in both versions of the tale.
Decking and Asphalt from 50+ years ago
Here's some other photos I took of the wooden bridge leading to the Barker Bridge (to help clear up any confusion)
The Truss Bridge has not had anything removed. The bridge you see appears to be a Timber Stringer bridge with an asphalt deck on it that crosses a creek on the south side before the Barker Bridge itself.
If you look at the photo, you can see the old road grade leading north. The truss bridge is just around the corner.
This bridge is very old (abandoned since at least the 60s, more than likely, it was abandoned in the early 1950s when Highway 95 was upgraded) and the deck is in very poor condition. I did not try to even walk across it and I would advise anyone from trying to reach the Barker Bridge from the south unless they are looking for this specific bridge.
Um, this is not a KCS line (although they have trackage rights). The original line was the Houston and Texas Central, followed in 1917 by the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio railroad parallel to it. Those were both taken over by the Texas and New Orleans (a subsidiary of Southern Pacific) until it was merged into the SP. UP became the owner when they merged with SP.
So the correct owner is UP, along with the other bridges you have listed on the UP Houston Subdivision (Memorial Park, etc).
This also goes for your BH 54379 entry for the Katy Road bridge.
Roger
Despite its appearance, that overpass is used several times per day by KCS. Its the major thoroughfare to the Port of Port Arthur. Thanks and have a great day!
We moved there in 1955. The property was owned by the Hancock brothers from Elcampo. We drove cattle across the bridge and also hauled them across in bobtail trucks owned by Emmett Cole Trucking. One time a cotton truck tried to go across it loaded with 3 bales of cotton and didn't make it across. It was still in use in 1970 when we left the ranch. I always heard that the Bass brothers from Victoria built the Swinging Bridge as we called it.
Mike Olson
3615712155
This wonderful bridge was closed again because the company who restored it did not restore it properly. After two years of fighting with them and it has been reopened to traffic once again. My great-grandfather would walk the rails of that bridge when he was a young boy as did my grandfather and my father! We love that bridge and it has sure helped our community since it has been reopened.
My family helped settle the community of Waldrip and my great-grandfather Joseph E. Powell was the Doctor in the area who delivered most of the children of that era.
I think the pictures that were last uploaded are of a different bridge, just a long shot.
Thank you Royce enjoyed this bridge. BOTH halves!
Bridge is condemned and the railroad abandoned because of it.
Yes, we always appreciate new photos and contributors. Welcome aboard.
They took out the pony truss bridge. I have pictures if interested
November 2016: Westbound lanes have been replaced, eastbound lanes currently awaiting replacement.
Northbound lanes appear to be the original bridge and southbound lanes appear to be newer.
I have been trying to find out. Texas has a great reputation for preservation, so I suspect that preservation of this NRHP listed structure is likely.
I drove across it a few times in past years, but I saw it today for the first time in a while. I was surprised to see the new bridge in place.
Are they gonna knock it down or preserve it for pedestrians
This bridge has been closed to traffic. The new bridge is open.
Loved this bridge ...... here are a couple of HDR Photos
This bridge is set to be rehabbed in 2017 and reopened to traffic upon completion.
I got to visit this bridge on my Texas trip. It is indeed a spectacular structure with the three Whipple truss spans. Its unusual to find a classic bridge of this size over such a small stream. Like in Indiana where I live theres the 330' Moscow covered bridge over the Flatrock which is not a big stream. You'd expect a bridge of this size over rivers like the East Fork White in Indiana or Colorado River in Texas. This is a must see if in the area.
I was looking through the condition reports of the several arch bridges on SW Fwy. that are only 10 -12 years old and seem perfect yet their conditions are not rated highly. I'm no experts but I wonder why they wouldn't achieve higher scores. They have light traffic.
This bridge was built by C.Q. Horton of Austin, Tx. Not part of Old Pitts Bridge Same Dihedral style but not same builder. The Sugarloaf Bridge has many differences.
Newest Google Streetview shows that this bridge was repaired, not replaced. It is now one-way with a modern steel railing inside the repaired concrete balustrade. The wing walls on the approaches appear to have been replaced and the underside was painted.
This one is just crazy!
Verticals are open box-laced, which I have only seen before on a through truss struts.
The endposts and upper chords also seem to feature this on 3 sides with a cover plate on top.
Very unusual and needs to be preserved!
I went to visit this bridge on my Texas trip and found it closed. Don't know why.
With an overhead clearance of only 10'-9", I'm wondering why this guy was on this road with a garbage truck anyway--seems to me that even with the arm lowered, it would be a very tight squeeze getting the truck under the bridge. I sure wouldn't try it.
Patrick, Granted I admit it may be a minority of truck drivers who are truly idiots, but I live near the I-69 International Trade Corridor (aka Massive Annoying Truck Route) and I have on numerous occasions nearly been driven off the road into the ditch by truckers unable to stay in their lane because they are half asleep. I have also been involved in hiring a truck and it took about 10 phone calls over two hours to give a trucker directions to a pickup location. No knowledge of GPS coordinates. And I also know from reliable sources who wish to remain anonymous that the process of falsifying logbooks so that trucks can drive longer than is legal (laws intended to protect motorists from truckers not being alert due to fatigue) happens with startling frequency. Like the Walmart trucker who caused a horrible accident with fatalities near Chicago a while back. And of course in their big truck, these truck drivers who cause these fatal accidents get to walk away without injury.
So yeah stereotypes may be inappropriate (like any stereotype) but these sorts of incidents still suggest that there is something wrong with "the system" as these things should NEVER happen. Once is too much.
Yeah and never assume a truck driver has a brain. The only requirement to be a truck driver is that you have a pulse. Brain is optional.
That is awful. Never take life for granted.
Yet another perfectly good bridge damaged by a careless truck driver, killing a 12-year old child and injuring her mother who was driving. Apparently that trash hauling company has had a poor safety record.
Story at KPRC-TV of Houston http://www.click2houston.com/news/truck-company-in-bridge-ac...
Fantastic, I have been waiting for years for this.
Please check out http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/cdm4/bridges_viewer.php?DMTHUM...
for additional photographs from an 1892 Phoenix Bridge Company book on the construction sequence.
This bridge, closed since flood damage on June 3, is now repaired and reopened to rail traffic as of June 22.
Confirm, this bridge is closed to traffic. All traffic on business 59 has been diverted to the adjacent structure
I can't figure out how to edit a post. It sounds like the "bridge collapse" might of been someone taking words out of context after hearing about the bridge closing/foundation shifting? From what I gather the bridge is still standing. Sorry about that..
I've heard that the bridge collapsed last night?
One more photo. Inspectors on the bridge.
This bridge is not open! It has been damaged by the flood. One of the supports dropped a couple feet.
Information is incorrect bridge is on former TN&O or Southern Pacific Glidden subdivision , now Union Pacific
Still no vehicular access as of May 2016.
David Box in 'Elm Fork Echos' of May 1993 described a tour from Dallas to Denton which had been published in the 1913 issue of the Dallas Auto Club tour guide. In reconstructing the route he concluded that west of Hebron the route utilized Highway 544 and then turned northwest to a bridge over the Elm Fork and entered Lewisville on College Street. A current topographic map of the area shows an unimproved road from College Street that crosses the river and joins Highway 121. We can see no evidence of that road today but the area east of the river is overgrown with grass and brush and the area to the west is part of the Lewisville landfill. Both piers at the location are constructed from quarried stone and mortar. The pier shown in Figure 1 is on the west bank of the river and about 50 feet from the river. Near the base it is about 18 feet wide and 6 feet thick, it is about 12 feet high with sloping sides. The other pier is on the east side of the river and at the waters edge as shown in Figure 2. The eastern pier has a rectangular base 17 feet wide and 10 feet thick. The sides slope gradually above the base. An earthen ramp and several wooden piles remain to the east of the pier.
James Polser of Lewisville remembers the bridge from the forties or fifties on the road from Lewisville to McKinney. He recalls a bridge with a ramp at each end and with a steel superstructure
Does anybody know the story on this bridge. If so contact me through my email and or cell 214-498/7983
Love the history of this bridge. My mother was named after her. We are family.
Bridge is now closed to vehicular traffic. Still open to bikes/peds. West approach closed off at Metcalfe St., recommend parking at east approach for quicker access. No convenient side view except from Ave. L bridge north sidewalk.
This Bridge has major damage from 2015 floods.
Felt sorry for old bridge so cleaned up most of the debris on top of the bridge.