Old Route 66 Bridge - Catoosa, OK
Posted by: hamquilter
N 36° 12.703 W 095° 43.357
15S E 255246 N 4010868
This is a decommissioned truss bridge which once stood on nearby Route 66.
Waymark Code: WM10KPM
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 05/23/2019
Views: 9
There are several truss bridges along this portion of Route 66, on the highway itself, and on the nearby railroad trestle, as it crosses the Verdigris River and Bird Creek. This particular bridge section has been decommissioned from Route 66, and moved to the entrance of the Rogers Point Park nearby. It once stood south of this location, on the westbound route. (The east bound truss is still in place).
As you enter the park, you drive between two sections of this iconic bridge. A marker from the bridge dated 1957 indicates that it has been named the H. Tom Kight, Jr. Bridge after a man who once was Claremore, OK City Attorney, an Oklahoma State Senator and the Chairman of the Oklahoma State Highway Commission. The truss was built in 1957 when Route 66 was expanded to four lanes.
This bridge, and the Rogers Point Park are located along Route 66, north of Catoosa and south of the town of Verdigris. It is a reminder of the achievement of this magnificent highway, and the infrastructure it required to traverse the country.