In Part 1 we looked at Fort Worth bridges built from 1913 to 1963 (see Part 1). Let’s fast-forward a half century.
The old West 7th Street Bridge (1914), with its single arch over the river, was torn down in 2013 as the new West 7th Street Bridge went up around it.
If you appreciate arches, the new bridge has even more arches than the old one. They just are above the roadbed, not below it.
And just upstream let’s not overlook the Phyllis Tilley Memorial Bridge, opened in 2012.
Meanwhile, farther up the Clear Fork in a stretch of just over a mile three bridges are just opened or being built.
This bridge carries the Chisholm Trail Parkway over the river. The piers are hardly classical Greek columns, but they do show some style, even if the pairs with no roadbed over them yet look a bit Stonehengish.
Just downstream is the Clearfork Bridge. A much different architectural style than the 1913 and 1914 bridges, but you can still find some arches. And the arcaded railing is reminiscent of the bridges of the 1930s.
A bit farther downstream is the new Hulen Street Bridge, which goes up, up, up, and over the river, the Union Pacific Davidson yard, and the Chisholm Trail Parkway. Don’t look down.
Its piers are similar to those of the CTP bridge.
When this photo was taken the old Hulen Street Bridge’s four remaining cigarette piers were being demolished. The new bridge is in the background.
Here all that is left of the old Hulen Street Bridge’s cigarettes are four butts.
Long, thin, white, cylindrical piers may always be a feature of bridges. Cigarettes are a hard habit to kick. But maybe we are beginning to cut down a bit.
Tomorrow: Memorial Day: “What We Do for Others and the World . . .”
Maybe it’s time for Part 3 of this post, including the completed CTP, Hulen Street and the Mistletoe pedestrian bridge. And then maybe a Part 4 for the Trinity River Vision bridges over dry land.
Right you are, Paul. I am behind on my bridges. Those dry-land bridges may baffle future archeologists.