State Highway 29 Bridge at the Colorado River
Also known as: State Highway 29 Bridge at Inks Lake; Bt0150-05-013
Why it's listed
Carrying State Highway 29 across the Colorado River between Buchanan Dam and Inks Lake, this 1,379-foot bridge combines four 200-foot steel Parker through truss spans with eleven I-beam approach spans. The Texas Highway Department designed it, the Austin Bridge Company built it in 1937, and Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel fabricated the trusses. It was part of a project to reroute the highway after Buchanan Dam flooded the earlier road and the bridge at Bluffton. The trusses follow the department's T24-200 standard design, one of only two surviving bridges of that type, and this is the better example. Distinctive features include solid concrete piers with pointed ends, a form found on only four surviving Texas highway truss bridges, and approach railings made from modified steel railroad ties with curved tops. The bridge has had no major alterations and remains in use. It was recognized for engineering significance at the state level.
Significance in brief: The bridge is significant in the area of engineering at the state level because it embodies the defining characteristics of a Texas Highway Department truss bridge. It uses the T24-200 standard design, one of two surviving examples and the better of the two. It also has unusual piers with pointed ends and custom curved-top steel approach railing.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 96001116, listed October 10, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | TX 29 at the Llano Cnty. line, Buchanan Dam |
|---|---|
| County | Burnet County |
| Listed | October 10, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96001116 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1937 |
| Architect / builder | Bridge Designer: Texas Highway Department; Truss Fabricator: Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Company of Des Moines, Iowa; Bridge Builder: Austin Bridge Company of Dallas, Texas |
| Architectural style | Other: Parker through truss bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in vehicular use on SH 29; no major alterations have been made, and no projects are currently planned, though its 1996 sufficiency rating of 34.4 made it eligible for replacement funding. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.74834, -98.39698 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 96001116.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14711336
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.