Fannin County, Texas -- As Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) prepares to repair a gaping hole in Hwy. 78 just north of the aging Red River bridge, one of ODOT's future options has become a temporary reality.
Car and truck traffic gave way to foot traffic once the public became aware to bridge was closed to vehicular traffic. The river offers a compelling view of a raging Red River, swollen by record rainfall.
"I've never done this before," one county resident said as he strolled across the bridge, pausing occasionally to study the flooded river.
ODOT is considering the possibility of dedicating the existing 76-year-old bridge to pedestrian and bicycle traffic if the department decides to construct a new bridge off to one side.
As of last notice, ODOT predicts right-of-way development and bridge construction will occur in 2016.
The historic bridge that connects Bryan County, Oklahoma and Fannin County, Texas is almost twice as old as the average bridge in the US. Built in 1938, the Hwy. 78 bridge is 2,100 feet long.
The 76-year-old bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its association with federal relief programs implemented during the Great Depression. Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) data indicates engineering of the bridge is also a rare example of its type.
ODOT is in the preliminary stage of studying a variety of options for the bridge, ranging from rehabilitation of the existing bridge all the way to moving all vehicular traffic to a new bridge on an offset alignment while retaining the existing bridge in place as a non-motorized pedestrian or bicycle bridge.
The historic bridge on Red River bears a plaque with the names of Texas Highway Commission members in 1938, including wealthy Texas oilman Harry Hines, the namesake of Harry Hines Blvd. in Dallas.
Of course, all of this is of little solace to residents on both sides of the river who have suffered extensive property damage due to flooding, or to those who depend on this bridge for a daily commute.
photos by Allen Rich