State Highway 71 Bridge at the Colorado River
Also known as: Fy0265-14-038
Why it's listed
Carrying the business loop of State Highway 71 across the Colorado River at La Grange, this 1,414-foot bridge combines five 200-foot riveted Parker through truss spans with eight steel I-beam approach spans. The Texas Highway Department designed it specially, and the Austin Bridge Company built it between 1940 and 1941 to replace an 1884 county bridge damaged in the July 1938 flood. Federal emergency relief funds covered part of the cost. Decorative touches include arched concrete bents, concrete piers with beveled copings, and a pedestrian walkway on the north side with an elaborate steel picket railing. La Grange residents had pressed to keep the highway routed through downtown, and the bridge was placed at the end of Travis Street. It is one of only two surviving five-truss-span bridges on a Texas state highway and remains largely unaltered. The 1991 outer loop around the town eased traffic and allowed it to be preserved in place.
Significance in brief: The bridge is significant under Criterion C in the area of Engineering at the state level. It embodies the defining characteristics of a Texas Highway Department truss bridge, with a custom-designed five-span Parker truss and decorative features. It is one of only two surviving five-truss-span bridges on a Texas state highway, and one of three surviving THD truss bridges with this type of decorative steel picket railing on its walkway.
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 96001120, 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 71, .8 mi E of jct. with FM 609, La Grange |
|---|---|
| County | Fayette County |
| Listed | October 10, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96001120 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1940-1941 |
| Architect / builder | Bridge Designer: Texas Highway Department; Truss Fabricator: Illinois Steel Bridge Company of Jacksonville, Illinois; 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 use for vehicular transportation as the business loop of SH 71. No major alterations have been made, and the 1991 outer loop reduced traffic on the bridge. |
| Acreage | 1.1 |
| Coordinates | 29.90189, -96.88459 (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 96001120.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q113585098
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.