Broad Street Bridge
Mason, Mason County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1914, citizens of Mason petitioned the county commissioners court for a reliable means of crossing Comanche Creek, which separated north and south Mason. Initial construction bids were deemed too high and a second petition was presented in 1917. Because Mason had no railroad to transport large pre-fabricated building materials, the Alamo Construction Company crafted the bridge of reinforced concrete on site in 1918. Perhaps the last concrete truss bridge to remain in Texas, the Broad Street Bridge continued to support vehicular and pedestrian traffic in Mason in 1998. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark -1998
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When Comanche Creek divided north and south Mason, townspeople petitioned for years for a dependable crossing. Because Mason had no railroad to haul in prefabricated materials, the Alamo Construction Company cast the bridge of reinforced concrete on site in 1918. Believed to be perhaps the last concrete truss bridge surviving in Texas, it long carried both vehicles and pedestrians.
Why it matters
It is a rare survivor of an early concrete-truss engineering approach and a reminder of how isolated towns improvised their own infrastructure.
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Themes & tags
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