Recent drone footage has surfaced of the ongoing efforts to tear down and reconstruct the iconic Pony Bridge near Bridgeport, Oklahoma, into a safer and more modern span.
The clip, uploaded on Dec. 18 by West OK Overland, shows construction crews have dismantled about half of the Route 66 bridge over the South Canadian River but have carefully placed the yellow trusses in another spot near the site so they can be used again on the new bridge.
A front-page article last week in The Oklahoman reports the site will include a kiosk that will tell travelers the history of the bridge and a pull-off area for photographers to safely take pictures of the span.
The Pony Bridge closed on Oct. 31 for at least two years for the $35 million project, which combines federal and state money. Officials want it completed by Route 66’s centennial in 2026.
Built in 1934, the officially named William H. Murray Bridge stretches more than 3,900 feet and consists of 38 yellow “pony” trusses, hence its nickname.
The bridge appears in the 1940 Oscar-winning film “The Grapes of Wrath” in a brief scene on the west side of the river, where Grandpa Joad dies.
In 2016, the bridge appeared on Preservation Oklahoma’s Most Endangered Historic Places list.
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My favourite bridge along the entire length of Route 66,… She’ll be back in full glory again in no time flat!
Gared Findley is the videographer of this video and shares many drone videos of western Oklahoma covering his journeys thru West Ok Overland. Very interesting productions. Catch his other videos on YouTube.