The History of The Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas

The History of The Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas

In the 1800s, Austin, Texas was just a small settlement of people living in tents and makeshift shelters. The city was starting to grow and needed a bridge to connect it with the surrounding communities. In 1839, a group of citizens formed the first board to build the Avenue Bridge. It was constructed over the Colorado River at an estimated cost of $1,000. The bridge was built with limestone that came from quarries in Bastrop County. 

It started out as a three-arched bridge but one arch collapsed in 1872. A new arch was constructed in 1870 with private funds and on October 21, 1870 it became Austin’s longest-lived bridge. However, this bridge is no longer standing as it has been replaced by two bridges: Josephine Street Bridge and Burnet Street Bridge using steel for construction purposes. Even though its age may be familiar to some residents, many don’t know about how the original Avenue Bridge came by its name or where it stands now

Introduction of Texas' oldest bridge

The Avenue Bridge is the oldest existing bridge in Austin. It was built in 1839 and it was originally named the Colorado River Bridge. The bridge was constructed by a group of people who wanted to build a bridge over the Colorado River as a way to connect communities in Austin with each other. The construction of this bridge started on October 21, 1870 and it took three years to complete. However, this bridge is no longer standing because it has been replaced by two bridges: Josephine Street Bridge and Burnet Street Bridge using steel for construction purposes. Even though its age may be familiar to some residents, many don’t know about how the original Avenue Bridge came by its name or where it stands now.

The history of the Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas

The Avenue Bridge was completed in 1839 and was named after a part of the town that it connected. It was also known as the “Avenue” because it ran over what was called the “avenue of trees.” In 1870, an arch collapsed and the bridge had to be rebuilt. In 2012, two new bridges were constructed at its place and the original Avenue Bridge is no longer standing.

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The implementation and construction of the Avenue Bridge

The Avenue Bridge originally had three arches. With the construction of a new arch, the total number was increased to five. The bridge is named after the first street that it crossed, which was called “Avenue.” On December 10th, 1870, it became Austin’s longest-lived bridge. When it was replaced by two bridges with steel-made structures, it fell into disuse and has been abandoned since its demolition in 1927. It currently stands by Josephine Street Bridge and Burnet Street Bridge on the south side of Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin.

The collapse of the original Avenue Bridge

This bridge was originally called the Avenue Bridge because it connected Austin to the other communities surrounding the city. However, in 1872, one of the arches collapsed which made it no longer suitable for use. This is when a new arch was constructed using private money to replace it. After that, two new bridges were built by replacing what was left of the original Avenue Bridge and they are still standing today.

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Where is the Avenue Bridge now?

The original Avenue Bridge was built over the Colorado River in 1839 and is now located just east of downtown Austin. It has since been replaced by two bridges: Josephine Street Bridge and Burnet Street Bridge.

Conclusion

The Avenue Bridge is one of the most iconic bridges in Austin, Texas and the collapse of the original bridge in 1881 is what led Austinites to vote on the construction of a new bridge. The new bridge was built in 1911 and was a major improvement over the first one. It is also one of the few bridges in the United

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