{"nrhp_refnum":"98000143","name":"Washington Avenue Bridge","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Washington and wlm Aves. across Brazos River","address_restricted":false,"city":"Waxo","county":"McLennan County","state":"TX","lat":31.56116361900007,"lon":-97.12876276799994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1998-02-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A pin-connected steel Pennsylvania through-truss bridge built in 1902 over the Brazos River in Waco, McLennan County, Texas, linking Washington Avenue and Elm Avenue. It is a public, locally owned structure.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the bridge is significant under Criterion C in the area of Engineering at the local level. It was the longest single-span truss bridge in the Southwest when built, and it is described as the longest and oldest single-span vehicular truss bridge still in use in the United States. It retains a high percentage of original material and integrity.","narrative":"Spanning the Brazos River north of downtown Waco, this steel truss bridge opened to traffic on June 30, 1902, connecting Washington Avenue on the west bank with Elm Avenue on the east. It was the second permanent vehicular crossing of the river in the city, following the 1870 Waco Suspension Bridge. The main span measures 450 feet, and the total length is 557 feet. Because of that span, designers chose a Pennsylvania truss with a bowed top chord. J. H. Sparks of St. Joseph, Missouri, won the contract at $93,300, and McLennan County and the City of Waco shared the cost. The bridge was the longest single-span truss bridge in the Southwest when built and is described as the longest and oldest single-span vehicular truss bridge still in use in the United States. Its truss members, piers and pin connections are original, while the deck, railings and guardrails have been altered. It still carries traffic today and is listed for its engineering significance.","period_of_significance":"1902","architect_builder":"Engineer unknown/J. H. Sparks","architectural_style":"Other: Pennsylvania through-truss","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Still in use as a road bridge; described as in excellent condition with high integrity, though a 1996 inspection rated it in fair condition with corrosion and cracked pin nuts, and a load limit applies.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:24.153688-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/13/9730/40973013/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/98000143.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000143/cca958f5ff-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000143/cca958f5ff-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Larry D. Moore","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Washington_avenue_bridge_2012.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Larry D. Moore</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Washington_avenue_bridge_2012.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"11001094","name":"Waco Downtown Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/texas/waco-downtown-historic-district-11001094/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40973013","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Avenue_Bridge_(Waco,_Texas)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7971675"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/mclennan-county/washington-avenue-bridge-98000143/"}