2011 Oklahoma's Most Endangered Historic Places

Construction of “The Mother Road” in the 1920’s signified the creation of a pathway for vacationers, explorers of the “new” frontier west, and a generation of people who grew to love the meandering roadway. Its evolution from dirt road, to slender paved pathways, to US Interstate Highway involved numerous alignment changes that have resulted in a difficulty determining the clear route now that US Highway 66 has been de-certified. As alignments have shifted and traffic has detoured to new routes, entire stretches of the fabled highway, and the accompanying buildings and structures, have become obsolete.

Historic bridges along Route 66 are in an especially dangerous predicament. Originally constructed for 1920’s and 1930’s traffic, these bridges struggle to accommodate modern traffic, and to meet continually upgraded safety standards. Additionally, some bridges face demolition by neglect as the stretches of road that used to carry traffic over them (and in turn cause them to receive state and county funding for maintenance) have become closed to traffic and are no longer in use. These bridges, often constructed of elegantly sleek steel trusses, are some of the most recognizable landmarks along the iconic highway, and their replacement with new concrete bridges heavily impacts the historic experience of the Mother Road.

The 11th Street Bridge over the Arkansas River in Tulsa (NRHP since 1996): This bridge, renamed the Tulsan Cyrus Avery in honor of a man who helped create Route 66, has been out of service for several years. Once the main connection between the refineries and the central business district in Tulsa, this bridge has been deemed structurally unsound, with no vehicular or pedestrian traffic allowed to cross.  Recently, funding has been used to beautify the bridge by installing period light fixtures and fixing cosmetic aspects of the bridge, the City of Tulsa has made an investment in its stabilization, and there is great local interest in seeing it reopened. However, complete rehabilitation will cost millions of dollars, and many are concerned that ongoing deterioration will outpace the efforts to identify funding sources for repairs.
    
Bridge over Rock Creek, southwest of Sapulpa (NRHP since 1995): This bridge was originally built in 1921 as a part of the Ozark Trail, and became part of Route 66 corridor in 1926 when the new highway was dedicated. It is located adjacent to the St. Louis and San Francisco railway tracks; otherwise the surrounding area has heavy vegetation and minimal development. This contributes to the timeless quality of the bridge, along with the fact that the original and unusual brick decking material is still intact, and has not been covered over with non-historic concrete like so many other historic bridges. It is also one of a few steel truss bridges intact within the state. When a later re-alignment of the highway bypassed the bridge in 1952, it became part of the County Road system. This significantly decreased traffic over the bridge, but also decreased its visibility by travelers. This bridge is an important link to the iconic past of Route 66, but it has been all but abandoned for an extended period of time with little maintenance.