Colorado River Bridge at Bastrop
Encyclopedia
The Colorado River Bridge at Bastrop is a 1285 feet (391.7 m)-long bridge with three steel truss spans and concrete piers that crosses the Colorado River
as part of Loop 150 through Bastrop, Texas
. The three bridge spans over the river consist of identical Parker through trusses, each 192 feet (58.5 m) in length, supported on concrete piers. The bridge is one of the earliest surviving uses of the Parker truss in Texas
.
The Colorado River Bridge was the second bridge crossing at this location. The first bridge at the crossing was built from 1889 to 1890 at a cost of $45,000. This bridge replaced the ferries across the river, which had been in use since the 1830s. The bridge was 1268 feet (386.5 m) in length. It was originally a toll bridge, but was later purchased by the county and the tolls were removed.
With automobiles becoming the dominant form of transportation in the United States
after World War I
, a new bridge was needed to handle the increasing traffic between Houston
and Austin
. The original estimate of the cost of the Colorado River Bridge was $40,000 and was partially financed by bonds issued by Bastrop County
. The rest was paid for with federal funds disbursed by the Texas State Highway Department. Bids on the project were solicited and the Kansas City Bridge Co. was selected as contractor. The final cost of the bridge's construction was $167,500. The bridge was completed in 1923 and opened for use in January 1924. The original bridge was sold and torn down in the early 1930s.
Ownership of the Colorado River Bridge probably passed from the county to the state during the depression
, as the local governments did not have the funds to maintain their road systems.
Growth in Bastrop in the 1990s strained the capacity of the narrow two-lane bridge. A wider concrete beam bridge was built parallel to the Colorado River Bridge. The State of Texas transferred ownership of the truss bridge to the City of Bastrop and the bridge became a pedestrian walkway. The bridge is also used for special events such as the annual "Art on the Bridge" art show and sale. The bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
on July 19, 1990.
Colorado River (Texas)
The Colorado River is a river that runs through the U.S. state of Texas; it should not be confused with the much longer Colorado River which flows from Colorado into the Gulf of California....
as part of Loop 150 through Bastrop, Texas
Bastrop, Texas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there are 5340 people in Bastrop, organized into 2034 households and 1336 families. The population density is 734.8 people per square mile . There are 2,239 housing units at an average density of 308.1 per square mile...
. The three bridge spans over the river consist of identical Parker through trusses, each 192 feet (58.5 m) in length, supported on concrete piers. The bridge is one of the earliest surviving uses of the Parker truss in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
The Colorado River Bridge was the second bridge crossing at this location. The first bridge at the crossing was built from 1889 to 1890 at a cost of $45,000. This bridge replaced the ferries across the river, which had been in use since the 1830s. The bridge was 1268 feet (386.5 m) in length. It was originally a toll bridge, but was later purchased by the county and the tolls were removed.
With automobiles becoming the dominant form of transportation in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, a new bridge was needed to handle the increasing traffic between Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. The original estimate of the cost of the Colorado River Bridge was $40,000 and was partially financed by bonds issued by Bastrop County
Bastrop County, Texas
Bastrop County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2006, the population was 71,700. Its county seat is Bastrop. Bastrop County is named for Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop , an early Dutch settler who assisted Stephen F...
. The rest was paid for with federal funds disbursed by the Texas State Highway Department. Bids on the project were solicited and the Kansas City Bridge Co. was selected as contractor. The final cost of the bridge's construction was $167,500. The bridge was completed in 1923 and opened for use in January 1924. The original bridge was sold and torn down in the early 1930s.
Ownership of the Colorado River Bridge probably passed from the county to the state during the depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, as the local governments did not have the funds to maintain their road systems.
Growth in Bastrop in the 1990s strained the capacity of the narrow two-lane bridge. A wider concrete beam bridge was built parallel to the Colorado River Bridge. The State of Texas transferred ownership of the truss bridge to the City of Bastrop and the bridge became a pedestrian walkway. The bridge is also used for special events such as the annual "Art on the Bridge" art show and sale. The bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on July 19, 1990.
See also
- List of Registered Historic Places in Bastrop County
- List of crossings of the Colorado River