If you want to drive on the westbound Bird Creek Bridge on Oklahoma 66 (aka old Route 66) near Catoosa, Okla., you’d better do it within the next three weeks or so.
The state is building an emergency crossover to the eastbound bridge that should be completed within 20 days, reported the Tulsa World, where that bridge will share one westbound and eastbound lane each.
After that, the 1936 Bird Creek Bridge will be closed, and state officials hope to replace it by September 2011. At the latest, a new bridge in some fashion will be there by 2012.
An Oklahoma Department of Transportation engineer said the bridge has deteriorated to where it’s become “not manageable.” The two-lane bridge was reduced to one in October to reduce stress on the structure — to apparently no avail. More than 40 emergency repairs have been made to the deck in recent years, and the weight limit fell drastically. More about problems with the bridge can be read here.
We and other Route 66 advocates in April lobbied for a compromise — building a new bridge that conforms to modern standards, but keeping the original pony trusses and other metalwork for an old-fashioned appearance.
At one point, we were fairly optimistic the compromise would be adopted. However, in light of the current situation, I’m afraid the chance of this happening has dimmed.
Also, I found out later that converting the old metal overhead structure to a non-load-bearing decoration on the bridge would make it vulnerable to wind sheer and collapse. However, ODOT said using some of the pony trusses for decorative railings remains a viable option.
During an ODOT meeting in June about the bridge proposals, the state heard a lot of pointed questions from historical preservationists and Route 66 stakeholders. Minutes of the meeting, which I received just a few weeks ago, can be downloaded here (13-page PDF).
The gist is that preservation officials accused ODOT of deferring maintenance on old bridges, causing them to decay much faster. Preservationists also urged ODOT to create a bridge preservation plan for Route 66. They pointed out that 50 percent of the America’s historic bridges have been lost in the past 25 years, and that Oklahoma still contains most of the historic Route 66 bridges. They advocated a historic bridge maintenance program much like Oregon’s.
With limited State resources, this seems like the direction preservationists should be taking in all states. And perhaps they are…it’s just the first I’ve heard of it.
“Preservationists also urged ODOT to create a bridge preservation plan for Route 66. They pointed out that 50 percent of the America’s historic bridges have been lost in the past 25 years, and that Oklahoma still contains most of the historic Route 66 bridges. They advocated a historic bridge maintenance program much like Oregon’s.”