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The Waco Suspension Bridge crosses the Brazos River in Waco, Texas. It is a single-span suspension bridge with a main span of 475 feet (145 m). Opened in 1870, it contains nearly 3 million bricks. It is located north of Downtown Waco, connecting Indian Spring Park (on the southwest side of the river) with Doris D. Miller Park (on the northeast side of the river). Every year on Independence Day, the bridge serves as a place where thousands of locals gather to watch fireworks. Indian Spring Park marks the location of the origin of the town of Waco, where the Huaco Indians had settled on the bank of the river, at the location of an icy cold spring.
Before 1869, crossing the Brazos River was a time-consuming and sometimes dangerous ordeal. The only way to cross the river was via ferry, and due to the location of Waco on the growing Chisholm Trail, local businessmen knew that a bridge was needed to support commerce. For this reason, members of Waco Masonic Lodge #92 proposed the creation of such a bridge and they assigned a committee which would form the Waco Bridge Company, responsible for funding and building the project. A charter was received from the state in 1866.
Col. John T. Flint, an Austin lawyer and banker, who had moved to Waco after the war and established a firm named Flint & Chamberlain, went personally to New York to handle the contract for building a bridge.
In October 1868, the engineer he hired, Thomas M. Griffith, began to supervise the construction using cables from the Roebling company of Trenton, New Jersey. The logistical and engineering difficulties he encountered were abnormal because of the remote location. Using our custom trip planner, Waco attractions like Waco Suspension Bridge can form part of a personalized travel itinerary.
Waco Suspension Bridge reviews
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This bridge is beautiful but is under construction so we were not able to cross. There is so much construction in the area that it was difficult to get close enough for pictures. I will revisit at...
This bridge is beautiful but is under construction so we were not able to cross. There is so much construction in the area that it was difficult to get close enough for pictures. I will revisit at... more »
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Lovely bridge but unable to cross due to ongoing construction We were able to view it from the river bank Waco landmark and worth a visit
Lovely bridge but unable to cross due to ongoing construction We were able to view it from the river bank Waco landmark and worth a visit more »
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Note that the bridge is still closed, although the work is expected to be completed this year. November is just days away and I seriously doubt if it will be available for the public to enjoy in 2022. The promenade is a nice place to burn some calories after dinner but be prepared, there are swarms of mosquito.
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The suspension bridge is currently closed due to construction, but we were able to walk through the park area down to the river where you can see the bridge pretty well.
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