Washington Avenue Bridge, Historic bridge in Waco, Texas.
The Washington Avenue Bridge is a steel bridge with Pennsylvania through truss design that crosses the Brazos River and connects East Waco to the downtown area. The structure spans approximately 450 feet and displays the distinctive latticed framework characteristic of this bridge type.
The bridge was built in 1902 and was the longest single-span vehicular truss bridge in Texas when completed. It gained recognition as a historic site decades later and underwent significant restoration work in 2009.
The structure shows how early 1900s engineers solved the problem of crossing a wide river. You can see the steel framework and understand what technology looked like at that time.
You can walk or drive across and enjoy views of the river from the structure. The bridge is easy to reach and well integrated into the city's street network.
The 2009 restoration kept over 95 percent of the original materials in place, making it the oldest functioning bridge of its kind in the country. This reveals how well the original construction was designed.
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