US 83 Bridge at the Salt Fork of the Red River
Also known as: Cg0031-03-002
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Why it's listed
Carrying northbound US 83 over the Salt Fork of the Red River north of Wellington, this 827-foot bridge combines three riveted Parker through truss spans of about 179 feet with steel I-beam approach spans. A flood in June 1938 washed out much of the earlier 1934 bridge. The Texas Highway Department designed the replacement, and the Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Company rebuilt it in 1939, reusing surviving I-beam spans and adding three trusses on dumbbell-shaped concrete piers. Custom steel railing runs the full length. Federal emergency relief funds paid about half of the cost. A 1949 truck fire damaged five north approach spans, which were replaced with three longer spans. In the 1970s a companion bridge took southbound traffic, allowing this one to stay in service. It is recognized for engineering, as an example of Texas Highway Department truss design and of inventive flood reconstruction.
Significance in brief: The bridge is significant under Criterion C in the area of Engineering at the state level. It embodies the characteristics of a Texas Highway Department truss bridge and shows innovative design and construction in the rebuilding of a flood-damaged bridge. Its specially designed steel approach railing and reuse of surviving I-beam spans from the earlier bridge make it the better of two similar flood-replacement bridges.
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 96001117, listed October 10, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | US 83, 16 mi. S of Wheeler Cnty. line, Wellington |
|---|---|
| County | Collingsworth County |
| Listed | October 10, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96001117 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1939 |
| Architect / builder | Bridge Designer: Texas Highway Department; Truss Fabricator and Bridge Builder: Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Company of Des Moines, Iowa |
| Architectural style | Other: Parker through truss bridge |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in place carrying a single lane of northbound US 83 traffic; a companion bridge for southbound traffic was built in 1973-1975. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.95771, -100.22127 (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 96001117.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14711387
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.