US 190 Bridge at the Neches River
Also known as: Jp0213-08-074
Why it's listed
Carrying US 190 across the Neches River at the Jasper and Tyler county line, this 1,601-foot steel bridge was designed by the Texas Highway Department and built between 1941 and 1943 by the Gaylord Construction Company of Houston. It combines a 240-foot Parker through truss, a 125-foot camelback through truss, a three-span I-beam cantilever unit with a suspended span, and 27 I-beam approach spans. It replaced the Town Bluff Toll Ferry and was the last of three bridges built to replace Neches River ferries on the old State Highway 45 route. Engineers lengthened the truss spans to avoid a pier in mid-river and used pointed piers to deflect drift. It is the only documented Texas highway truss bridge with a cantilever unit of this kind and the last camelback truss span designed by the state highway department. Wartime steel shortages shaped its construction, and it still carries traffic over B.A. Steinhagen Lake.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is significant under Criterion C in engineering at the state level. It is a custom-designed truss bridge with an I-beam cantilever unit and suspended span. Its camelback through truss span and cantilever unit are rare in Texas, and its long approach and pointed-nose piers are unusual.
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 96001121, 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 190 at the Jasper and Tyler Cnty. line, Jasper |
|---|---|
| County | Jasper County |
| Listed | October 10, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96001121 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1941-1943 |
| Architect / builder | Designer: Texas Highway Department; Fabricator: Virginia Bridge Company of Roanoke, Virginia; Builder: Gaylord Construction Company of Houston, Texas |
| Architectural style | Other: Parker through truss bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in place and in service carrying highway traffic; only minor repairs in 1982 and a 1994 sufficiency rating of 34.9 noted. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 30.85262, -94.18119 (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 96001121.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q55315818
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.