| Address: | Bridgeport, Oklahoma | County: | Caddo |
| Started: | Completed: | 1934 | |
| Agencies: | WPA | NRHP: | October 19, 2020 |
Current Usage
Re-constructed
Description
The Bridgeport Bridge: A Monument to Modernity, Federalism, and Engineering Grit
The Bridgeport Bridge (also known as the Pony Bridge or the William H. Murray Bridge) remains one of the most iconic structures on historic Route 66. Spanning the South Canadian River in Caddo County, Oklahoma, the bridge was not merely a crossing but a symbol of a state’s struggle to modernize and a federal government’s determination to exert its authority.
Breaking the Toll Monopoly
The primary motivation behind the bridge’s creation was the elimination of the Key Bridge, a private toll span that had become a bottleneck for interstate traffic. Owned by George D. Key, the old bridge was a “rickety wooden” structure that forced travelers to pay a one-dollar fee—roughly $15 today—to cross. Furthermore, local political interests had kept Route 66 on an inefficient, looping course to ensure traffic passed through specific towns and reached the toll bridge.
Beginning in the mid-1920s, the Oklahoma State Highway Commission agitated for free bridges, viewing private monopolies as impediments to the “Mother Road”. Governor William H. Murray, elected in 1931, championed this effort as a populist cause. To clear the way for a more efficient public route known as the El Reno Cutoff, the state eventually purchased the Key Bridge in 1930 for $65,000 and opened it to free traffic.
A Standoff of Federalism
The bridge’s planning became a battleground between the Oklahoma State Highway Department and the federal Bureau of Public Roads (BPR). Federal engineers, favoring national transportation objectives, pushed for the most direct westward trajectory. The state, however, faced intense local pressure; Canadian County officials even sued the commission to maintain the older, looping alignment.
The conflict escalated when the BPR used its funding power as a “bludgeon”. Federal officials refused to release the $280,394 (which covered 53% of the project cost) until Oklahoma activated several other stalled highway projects, forcing the state to bypass local bickering in favor of federal dictates. This tension represented one of the most significant trials of state versus federal control in that era.
A Great Feat of Engineering
Spanning the South Canadian River was a daunting task due to the river’s “vagaries,” including shifting sand dunes and quicksand that made construction “very difficult”. To survive this environment, engineers utilized the pneumatic caisson method, which required specialized laborers known as “sandhogs” to dig foundations into the bedrock—some as deep as 60 feet—under pressurized conditions.
The completed structure was an engineering marvel:
- The Design: It consisted of 38 identical 100-foot Camelback pony truss spans, a hybrid design by Marion W. Hefley chosen for its high tensile strength and economy.
- The Scale: At 3,944 feet long, it was the longest bridge in Oklahoma at completion and remains the longest Camelback pony truss bridge in the United States.
- The Labor: At its peak in early 1933, the project employed 120 men working in three eight-hour shifts to finish the work ahead of schedule.
Dedicated on July 17, 1934, the Bridgeport Bridge finally closed the gap on Route 66, replacing a crumbling toll system with a mammoth, free passage that fueled the growth of national travel for decades.
Sources
Supported Documents
- Oklahoma Depression-era Bridges and Road-related Resources, 1933-1945: Historic Context and National Register of Historic Places Evaluation Final Report (August 2016, Prepared for Oklahoma Department of Transportation by Mead & Hunt).
- National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Bridgeport Bridge (Form 10-900, Caddo County, Oklahoma).
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