Roma-San Pedro International Bridge
Also known as: Roma Suspension Bridge
Why it's listed
Spanning the Rio Grande from sandstone cliffs at Roma-Los Saenz, Texas, this suspension bridge links Starr County with Ciudad Miguel Alemán, Mexico. Built in 1927-28 to a design by Houston engineer George E. Cole, it has a single span of about 700 feet, steel towers rising 45 feet above the deck, and a roadway hanging roughly 50 feet over the river. It was privately financed through the Starr County Bridge Company, whose chief stockholder, Joseph Erastus Pate, built several suspension bridges in the Valley. Roma's is the only one of them still standing, and it is the only surviving international suspension bridge on the Rio Grande. About 5,000 people attended its opening on March 1, 1928. The bridge never transformed the local economy, but it became a landmark of the town. Starr County acquired it in the mid-1960s and replaced it with a new crossing in 1979. It is now unused but in fair condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is the only surviving international suspension bridge on the Rio Grande and one of few in Texas, and it represents an engineering type that was declining by the mid-20th century. It is the most noteworthy early 20th-century structure in Roma-Los Saenz and a reminder of the enterprises of Joseph Erastus Pate. It is also tied to the town's commercial development.
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 84001959, listed March 23, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Hidalgo St. and Bravo Alley, Roma-Los Saenz |
|---|---|
| County | Starr County |
| Listed | March 23, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84001959 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1927-28) |
| Architect / builder | George E. Cole, Engineer |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Superseded by a new Starr County International Bridge in 1979; the old bridge is disused but remains in fair condition, with considerable community interest in preserving it. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 26.40397, -99.01866 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 84001959.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q110001311
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.