Old Iron Bridge (Bastrop, Texas)

Old Iron Bridge
Old Iron Bridge
	Pedestrian bridge crossing the Colorado River in Bastrop
Coordinates	30°06′36″N 97°19′23″W / 30.11°N 97.323°W
Carries	Pedestrian traffic
Crosses	Colorado River
Locale	Bastrop, Texas; USA
Owner	City of Bastrop
Characteristics
Design	Parker through truss bridge
Material	Steel, reinforced concrete
Total length	1,285 feet (392 m)
Longest span	192 feet (59 m)
No. of lanes	2
History
Architect	G.G. Wickline
Contracted lead designer	R.E. Schiller
Constructed by	Kansas City Bridge Company
Construction start	1923
Construction cost	$167,500
Opened	January 1924
	Old Iron Bridge
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	Old Iron Bridge at Bastrop Old Iron Bridge at Bastrop
Coordinates	30°06′18″N 97°19′22″W / 30.10500°N 97.32278°W
Area	less than one acre
MPS	Bastrop Historic and Architectural MRA
NRHP reference No.	90001031
Added to NRHP	July 19, 1990
Location

The Old Iron Bridge, also referred to as Colorado River Bridge, is a 1,285-foot (392 m)-long bridge with three steel truss spans and concrete piers that crosses the Colorado River in Bastrop, Texas, United States. The bridge is one of the earliest surviving uses of the Parker truss in Texas.^[1]

History

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 Old Iron Bridge was $45,000 and was partially financed by bonds and local taxes.^[1] 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 torn down in the early 1930s.^[1]^[2]