The General Norzagaray Bridge is a brick and masonry barrel vault bridge built in 1855 in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the juri ...

. Also known as Puente de los Frailes, it brings what is now Puerto Rico Highway 873 across Frailes Creek, a tributary to the Guaynabo River. It has eight barrel vault spans. Its total length is and its roadway width is . It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

(NRHP) in 1995. In 1855, it was important for carrying the Carretara Central across Quebrada Frailes. It is named for Fernándo de Norzagaray y Escudero, governor of Puerto Rico from 1852 to 1855. It was designed by chief engineer Manuel Sanchez-Nunez y Layne and built by engineer Gustavo Steinacher (who also designed and built the first suspension bridge in the Caribbean, over the

Cagüitas River The Cagüitas River ( es, Río Cagüitas) is a river of Caguas and Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico. See also *List of rivers of Puerto Rico A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Orga ...

just north of

Caguas, Puerto Rico Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, and east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey. Caguas was found ...

) and cost 45,346

pesos The peso is the monetary unit of several countries in the Americas, and the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries the peso uses the same sign, "$", as many currencies named "dollar" ...

. According to its NRHP registration, it "is one of the most impressive bridges from the Spanish Colonial period", serving as a "prime example of Spanish 19th century masonry arch technology". It is the only such example in the United States. With The superstructure of the bridge was modified in 1927 by removal of earth fill and addition of steel girders installed on the arch piers to support a concrete deck. This does not interfere significantly with the historic integrity of the bridge. It spans between what are now the barrios of Caimito and Tortugo in San Juan.

Gallery

View of bridge roadway looking S showing location of bridge plaque. - Puente de los Frailes, Spanning Frailes Creek, PR Route 873, KM 18.85, Chalet de la Colina, San Juan Municipio HAER PR,7-SAJU,40-8.tif, Norzagaray Bridge San Juan - Norzagaray Bridge (1906).jpg, Norzagaray Bridge in 1906

References

External links

* Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico Bridges completed in 1855 Arch bridges in the United States Brick bridges in the United States Historic American Engineering Record in Puerto Rico 1855 establishments in Puerto Rico National Register of Historic Places in San Juan, Puerto Rico Transportation in San Juan, Puerto Rico {{PuertoRico-NRHP-stub