11th Street Bridge

About

The 11th Street Bridge was completed in December 1915 to carry vehicles across the Arkansas River at Tulsa, Oklahoma. Used from 1916 to 1972, it was also a part of U.S. Route 66. Functionally, it has been replaced by the I-244 bridges across the Arkansas. As of 2009, the bridge was in poor structural condition and unsafe even for pedestrians. In 2008, the gates were locked to exclude all visitors. This bridge was added on December 13, 1996, to the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C. Its NRIS number is 96001488. Its listing was consistent with evaluations of historic resources on Route 66 in Oklahoma completed in 1994 and 2003 studies. It was named the "Cyrus Avery Route 66 Memorial Bridge" in 2004. Although the bridge still stands, it is considered unsafe for use and has been closed to vehicles since 1980 and to pedestrians since 2008. Engineered by Harrington, Howard and Ash of Kansas City, this bridge replaced an earlier wooden structure. It was built by the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company for $180,000. A multi-span concrete arch bridge, with 18 spans, it was 1,470 feet (450 m) long and 34 feet (10 m) wide. It had a railroad track in the center and one vehicular lane on each side of the track. At the time, it was notable for several reasons: It was the first bridge built for the purpose of carrying automobiles across the Arkansas River It was one of the longest concrete structures in the Midwestern United States It was the first multi-span concrete bridge constructed in Oklahoma. In 1929, the original balustrades and Victorian-style lights were replaced with Art Deco guardrails and lights. A 1934 project constructed a second arched bridge immediately downstream and connected both bridges with a single deck. This brought the deck width to 52 feet 8 inches, with a roadbed that was 40 feet (12 m) wide and accommodated four lanes of traffic.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.