Fort Griffin Brazos River Bridge - Fort Griffin, TX
N 32° 56.082 W 099° 13.469
14S E 479013 N 3644070
The Fort Griffin Brazos River Bridge is no longer in use, standing less than a half mile northeast of the old Fort Griffin townsite. It once took vehicles over the Brazos River on Shackelford County Rd 188.
Waymark Code: WM11GXM
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/22/2019
Views: 4
While there are barriers blocking vehicular access on both sides, one should exercise caution if walking across the bridge. The metal structure appears sound, but there is plenty of rotten wood on the deck, and a foot through the deck isn't going to end up well. "You've been warned." The listed parking coordinates are on the west side of the river, where the road is a little wider. Be ready to do a Y-turn if you're in a large vehicle.
This was once the oldest functioning bridge in Shackelford County, and it served for at least a hundred years. If the bridge is no longer owned by the county, the odds are good that it is now owned by the folks who own the Fort Griffin town site. It appears to have been in fairly poor condition by the late 1990s, which is probably when traffic was diverted elsewhere and barriers established; trucks were already prohibited from crossing when the bridge was listed (1979) on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register's Nomination Form (see link, below) notes that this pin-connected, six-panel Pratt through truss was built in 1885 by the King Iron Bridge and Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, OH, one of the most prolific bridge manufacturers in the country. Despite its age and condition, it is an excellent example of late nineteenth-century bridge building practice, and it cost the county $8,050.
Bridgehunter provides these dimensions:
Length of largest span: 108.9 ft.
Total length: 311.0 ft.
Deck width: 13.5 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 15.8 ft.