Lake Overholser Bridge in Oklahoma City reopens to traffic after 3-month closing

The historic Lake Overholser Bridge on Oklahoma City’s west side reopened to traffic Friday after repair work and a three-month closure.

According to a news release from the city government Thursday:

A contractor replaced damaged structural gusset plates on the historic steel truss bridge.
Engineers performing a routine inspection in September discovered the damage, prompting the bridge closure.
The steel truss bridge opened in 1925 and was restored in 2011 to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and light vehicles.

The 748-foot-long Lake Overholser Bridge opened more than a year before it carried Route 66 over it.

It was bypassed in 1958 by a new four-lane Route 66 just north of it, but it continued to carry local traffic.

The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It underwent a $4 million restoration by the city back in 2011 over a two-year period.

(Hat tip to Route 66 Navigation; an image of the Lake Overholser Bridge by the City of Oklahoma City)

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