An endangered Warren Pony truss bridge is located at Bear Creek and E 3rd Street in the city of Lancaster. It is structurally deficient, and was closed to vehicle traffic by TexDOT in 2015.
In Dec 2016 the bridge is still there, despite a public call for anyone who wanted to relocate and reuse the bridge as a pedestrian walkway that ran in the Dallas Morning News: (
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"In Lancaster, A Bridge to Nowhere Could Be Yours
Written by
Loyd Brumfield, Communities Reporter
Published Mar 3, 2016
Want to own your own bridge? Now’s your chance.
The Texas Department of Transportation is looking to find a new home for a historic Warren pony steel truss bridge built in 1935 and sitting on Third Street at Keller Branch in Lancaster.
The bridge, which is 50 feet long and 16 feet wide, no longer serves a functional purpose and is too weak and narrow to accommodate emergency vehicles or any other kind of four-wheeled traffic.
The thing is, the state has determined that all of the truss bridges that remain standing meet the criteria for historical significance, so TxDOT would like to save as many as possible.
What is a Warren truss bridge, you ask? TxDOT says the truss “retains all its character-defining features, such as the flat top chords, inclined end posts, and zig-zag 'W' pattern.”
Its builder is listed as “unknown,” but its current owner is the city of Lancaster.
TxDOT is reaching out to surrounding governments and nonprofits that might be interested in taking ownership of the bridge and using it for some type of pedestrian walkway.
The agency also is in talks with the Texas Historical Commission and the Historic Bridge Foundation, said Michelle Raglon, TxDOT public information officer for the Dallas district.
Similar projects have meant moving bridges to local parks or along pedestrian trails. TxDOT requires relocated bridges to remain open for walkers, but the bridges cannot be used for vehicles.
The bridge in Lancaster is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, and its new owner must pay for its relocation and commit to maintaining and improving the structure.
A truss bridge like the one in Lancaster would probably cost an estimated $172,000 to rehabilitate, Raglon said.
As for the existing bridge’s location, TxDOT plans to build a shiny new bridge that can accommodate heavy vehicles.
Anyone interested in having their very own truss bridge should send a plan and financial commitment by May 31 to Jan Heady . . . to discuss the bridge preservation options."