Historic Route 66 Bridge Reopens After Restoration Project

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Route 66 bridge near Lake Overholser reopened Tuesday after an almost two-year restoration project.

The 86-year-old Bridge is 748 feet long. It is a steel bridge mounted on concrete piers.

"It is constructed of two types of steel trusses, which are still functional after all these years," assistant city manager Dennis Clowers said.

The nearly two year restoration included keeping the bridge's original look. Officials said the weathering steel was used to keep the bridge historic. The steel will begin to rust quickly in humidity and forms a protective layer over the bridge.

"It makes the new steel match the old so quickly that it's hard to tell where the new steel was installed," Clowers said.

City officials said each bridge section to be replaced had to be removed, measured and exactly reproduced by the fabricator.

The bridge is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.

Funding for this $4.2 million restoration project came from the 2000 General Obligation Bond Issue.