State Highway 27 Bridge at the Guadalupe River
Also known as: US 87 Bridge at the Guadalupe River; Dw0143-08-037
Why it's listed
This bridge carries US 87, along with US 183 and State Highway 72, across the Guadalupe River southwest of Cuero in DeWitt County, Texas. Built in 1937-1938 by Cage Brothers & L.A. Turner to designs by the Texas Highway Department, it has a single 250-foot riveted Parker through truss, 20 steel I-beam approach spans and a separate 15-span relief structure to the north. It replaced an 1887 county truss bridge with light load capacity and an inadequate roadway width. The site lies on a sharp river bend with a high, eroding north bank, so engineers sank the north pier's caisson 41 feet and buried it under 17 feet of soil. Highway engineers designed the truss specially instead of using a standard plan. It is one of four 250-foot Parker truss highway bridges surviving in Texas. The project finished ahead of schedule and under budget, and the structure has seen no major alterations since.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge embodies the defining characteristics of a Texas Highway Department truss bridge, using a custom-designed riveted Parker truss rather than a standard plan. It is also significant for foundation engineering: the north pier caisson was sunk well below grade in anticipation of future scour. It is one of only four Parker truss highway bridges in Texas with a 250-foot span.
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 96001122, 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 87, .13 mi. S of jct. with US 183, Cuero |
|---|---|
| County | DeWitt County |
| Listed | October 10, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96001122 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1937-1938 |
| Architect / builder | Bridge Designer: Texas Highway Department; Truss Fabricator: Illinois Steel Bridge Company of Jacksonville, Illinois; Bridge Builder: Cage Brothers & L.A. Turner of Bishop, Texas |
| Architectural style | Other: Parker through truss bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used for vehicular transportation; no major alterations reported and no projects currently planned. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 29.06541, -97.32248 (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 96001122.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110000931
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.