Houston Street Viaduct

The Houston Street Viaduct is a concrete bridge spanning the Trinity River in Dallas, carrying vehicle lanes and leading pedestrians across the water. The structure has a plain industrial form with multiple supporting pillars beneath it.

After a major Trinity River flood in 1908 devastated the area, residents decided to build a new bridge to better connect the city's neighborhoods. The work was completed in 1911 with techniques that allowed the structure to withstand future flooding.

The bridge carries the name of a major street and links two distinct parts of the city that feel quite separate from one another. It represents how residents came together after disaster to rebuild their community.

Crossing the viaduct is straightforward with pedestrian pathways clearly available for foot traffic. From here you get a good view of the river and surrounding landscape, making it a natural stop when exploring the area on foot.

The engineer who designed this bridge intentionally built in special features to make the structure more robust against future river swells. These early considerations for flood protection were not standard practice in bridge building at the time.

Location: Dallas

Location: Dallas County

Inception: 1911

Architects: Ira G. Hedrick

Address: Houston St. roughly between Arlington St. and Lancaster Ave.

GPS coordinates: 32.76868,-96.80970

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:42