Rating:
3 votes

Moore's Crossing Bridge

Travis County, Texas

Photos 

Moore's Crossing Bridge

Photo taken by C Hanchey in August 2009

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BH Photo #145199

Map 

Street View 

Description 

This bridge's main spans were originally built in 1884 as part of a a six span through truss at Congress Avenue over Colorado River in Austin, Texas. When that bridge was replaced in 1910, the six spans were placed into storage for five years. In 1915, three of the spans were placed over Onion Creek, but were destroyed by a flood in the same year. Another bridge was then erected at Onion Creek. In 1922, the three remaining 1884 spans of the Congress Avenue Bridge, apparently still in storage after all these years, were erected at this location. At some point, perhaps also in 1922, a riveted pony truss (likely not from the Congress Avenue Bridge) also was placed here as an approach span. Closed to traffic in 1980. Preserved for pedestrian use today.

Facts 

Overview
Through truss bridge over Onion Creek on Moores Bridge Rd
Location
Travis County, Texas
Status
Open to pedestrians
History
Built 1884 at Congress Avenue; Two Spans Moved Here In 1922; Closed to vehicular traffic in 1981
Builders
- Austin Bridge Co. of Dallas, Texas/Atlanta, Georgia (Pony Truss)
- King Bridge Co. of Cleveland, Ohio (Through Truss Spans)
Design
One rivet-connected pony truss approach span and three pin-connected Whipple through truss main spans.
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 150.0 ft.
Total length: 534.0 ft.
Deck width: 15.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 18.0 ft.
Recognition
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places
Approximate latitude, longitude
+30.16928, -97.66368   (decimal degrees)
30°10'09" N, 97°39'49" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
14/628671/3338297 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Montopolis
Inventory numbers
NRHP 96001091 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
TXNBI 142270AA1711001 (Texas bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
BH 33394 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (6,830)
Austin Bridge Co. (34)
Bridgemapper.com (1,326)
Built 1884 (159)
Built during 1880s (1,822)
Have street view (25,199)
King Bridge Co. (325)
NR-listed (2,872)
Open to pedestrians (3,788)
Owned by county (19,947)
Pin-connected (3,678)
Pony truss (15,642)
 Pratt pony truss (3,452)
Pratt truss (8,654)
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (7)
Span length 125-175 feet (3,973)
Sufficiency rating zero (266)
Texas (2,362)
Through truss (13,913)
Total length 500-1000 feet (2,648)
Travis County, Texas (42)
Truss (31,052)
Whipple truss (330)
Wooden deck (5,992)

Update Log 

  • September 20, 2014: New Street View added by Ralph Demars
  • September 20, 2014: New photos from Royce and Bobette Haley
  • May 21, 2013: Updated by Nathan Holth: Fixed Builder to King. Massive rewrite of history to more clearly and completed describe this complex bridge history.
  • August 13, 2009: Updated by C Hanchey: Bridge has been rehabilitated as a pedestrian bridge

Related Bridges 

  • Congress Avenue Bridge (Successor) - This is the Congress Avenue Bridge that replaced the six span truss bridge.

Sources 

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Comments 

Moore's Crossing Bridge
Posted September 28, 2016, by Tom Hoffman

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.

Moore's Crossing Bridge
Posted May 21, 2013, by Nathan Holth (form3 [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

Someone had posted "Austin Bridge Co" as the builder for this bridge. I know for a fact the main spans are King Bridge Co. Does anyone know what specific involvement Austin had, if any? The pony truss? Re-erecting the King spans?