Less than a half-year after the Pony Bridge near Bridgeport, Oklahoma, reopened to traffic, Route 66 will be closed for up to five months due to another bridge project.
The Town of Bridgeport stated on Facebook a replacement project for the so-called Tower Bridge just west of the Pony Bridge will begin on Sept. 9.
In a follow-up post Wednesday, the town stated it learned from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation the bridge contract is set to last 150 days, but it comes with incentives if the work is completed in 120 days.
Best case scenario, the bridge and Route 66 in that area would be reopened by early 2025.
The Town of Bridgeport feared the project would begin about the same time ODOT was scheduled to replace an Interstate 40 overpass a few miles away near the Cherokee Trading Post. That would have compounded traffic problems in that area.
But ODOT confirmed the overpass project won’t go out for bids until September 2025.
The Tower Bridge sits just east of the ruins of the Hinton Junction Courts and Cafe.
The landmark Pony Bridge was widened to modern standards, but ODOT kept the original 38 trusses and reattached them to the span afterward — preseving a precious memory to Route 66 motorists for several more generations.
(Excerpted image from Google Street View of the so-called Tower Bridge near Bridgeport, Oklahoma)