Southern Pacific Railroad, Pecos River Bridge, Spanning Pecos River at Southern Pacific Railroad, Langtry, Val Verde County, TX
Summary
Significance: The Pecos River gorge has been the location of two of the world's highest bridges: the 1892 Pecos Viaduct and the current structure, its 1944 successor. Increased traffic during World War II necessitated the replacement of this critical link on a major east-west railroad. Though built under material and labor constraints cased by the war, this 1390'-6"-long continuous steel cantilever truss' austere design is nonetheless in harmony with its remote desert setting. The Pecos River High Bridge is also significant for technical achievements, such as its 275'-high slip-formed concrete piers.
Survey number: HAER TX-75
Tags
Date
1969 - 1980
Contributors
Historic American Engineering Record, creator
Southern Pacific Railroad
Location
Langtry, 29.80856, -101.55968
Source
Library of Congress
Copyright info
No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html