Railroads and Bridges

The Colorado River Bridge is one of two historic bridges remaining over the Colorado River at Wharton and is significant for its role in opening the River to vehicular traffic during the transition from rail to auto/truck access. The bridge, a visual landmark in the community, was constructed in 1930 by Austin Bridge Company, a Dallas-based firm that built bridges throughout the State and around the country in the early 20th century.

Due to its significance as the only remaining Pennsylvania Truss bridge in the State, the Bridge was rehabilitated and restored by Texas Department of Transportation and reopened in 2018. Local citizens organized a “thank-you” party for the bridge workers on a hot summer day in the summer of 2017 and then celebrated the completion of the work with the first “Under the Bridge” community gathering one year later.

(This text was taken from the National Register nomination, 2/1/1993. For further details please see the National Trust properties on this website.)