The new Main Street bridge over the Burlington Northern Railroad is another bridge built to replace a Depression-era bridge in downtown Tulsa. The old bridge had deteriorated to the point that it was closed in 1978 between Archer Street and the Williams Center parking structure entrance (right) near First Street. The bridge was slated for replacement through a 1977 bond issue project, so this was another closure (like Cincinnati Avenue) that wouldn't remain in effect for a long time. Work began in the fall of 1980 on demolishing the old bridge, which took about two months to complete. Construction began on the new three-lane bridge in January 1981, and the bridge opened in April 1982. The bridges' substructures are quite different. The old bridge had two small abutment retaining walls and many piers. The new bridge has an abutment wall that runs from Archer Street to about two car widths north of the railroad tracks and then has four spans and a small abutment wall to connect it to First Street. The bridge has two southbound lanes and one northbound lane. Photograph taken May 8, 1984.
DEVELOPING TULSA: THE AUSTIN HELLWIG COLLECTION
