WPA Bridge - Hiwassee Road - Arcadia, OK
Posted by: hamquilter
N 35° 39.724 W 097° 18.037
14S E 653819 N 3947797
Hardly noticing, you drive across hundreds of WPA-constructed bridges and culverts in Oklahoma.
Waymark Code: WMXQTA
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 02/15/2018
Views: 1
Oklahoma was hit very hard during the early 1930's - not only with the economic troubles of the Great Depression, but with weather disasters - severe drought and blowing sand. Seeing an infrastructure need, Oklahoma had begun setting up a highway administration, and seeking funds to construct and improve a much-needed system of roads and bridges, particularly on Farm-to-Market roads. Federal programs such as the Federal Emergency Relief Admin. (FERA), Civil Conservation Corps (CCC), Public Works Admin. (PWA), and the Works Progress Admin. (WPA) provided funding to put Oklahomans to work and build the needed roads and bridges. Emphasis was put on manual labor, to put the most people to work. The website shown below highlights the work of the New Deal programs in Oklahoma.
This bridge crosses a small creek on Hiwassee Road, just south of Route 66, east of the town of Arcadia. On either side of the roadway, are four concrete pillars with horizontal beams. On the concrete curbing, the familiar WPA stamp is embossed.