The Highway 78 Bridge at the Red River is an eight-span through
truss bridge[
] over the
Red River between
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
and
Texas on
Oklahoma State Highway 78
State Highway 78 is long (97 km) state highway in southern Oklahoma. It runs from the Red River (where it crosses into Texas as State Highway 78) to Tishomingo. It has no lettered spur routes.
Route description
State Highway 78 enters ...
/
Texas State Highway 78
State Highway 78 (SH 78) is a state highway that follows surface roads in a predominantly southwest-to-northeast direction in the Dallas area before traveling north-northeast to the Oklahoma State border.
Route description
The highway's southe ...
. It was built as a federal relief project during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
as part of
President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal
The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...
. Today the bridge and the area retain the look and feel of the time of its construction. As part of Highway 78 the bridge's average daily traffic (as of 2006) was 1,700 cars per day.
The original bridge was demolished after flood damage and a new bridge built in 2018
History
The State Highway 78 Bridge at the Red River replaced a suspension bridge that collapsed on January 15, 1934. The former bridge had been opened as a toll bridge in July 1927. It was purchased by Oklahoma and Texas for use as a free bridge.
It collapsed in a storm after the swinging bridge's wire cables became twisted and snapped.
As a Federal Relief Project
funded by the
National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 construction began on February 16, 1937.
It was completed in 1938.
The bridge marks the location of Sowell's Bluff.
Architecture
The Oklahoma Highway Commission designed the bridge. Constructed in 1937-1938 by the
Kansas City Bridge Co. of
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
,
Missouri.
[
] the bridge is designed as a rare example of a K-Parker through truss bridge with camelback pony spans.
[
]
The bridge consists of eight riveted K-truss through spans with two camelback pony truss spans at each end.
The Illinois Steel Bridge Company of
Jacksonville,
Illinois was subcontracted to fabricate the trusses.
See also
*
*
*
*
List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas
Overview
* Length of largest span: 210.0 ft.
* Total length: 2,108.0 ft.
* Deck width: 24.0 ft.
* Vertical clearance above deck: 15.9 ft.
References
Buildings and structures in Bryan County, Oklahoma
Buildings and structures in Fannin County, Texas
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Oklahoma
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas
Bridges completed in 1937
Transportation in Fannin County, Texas
Former toll bridges in Oklahoma
Former toll bridges in Texas
National Register of Historic Places in Bryan County, Oklahoma
National Register of Historic Places in Fannin County, Texas
Steel bridges in the United States
Parker truss bridges in the United States
Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States
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