Adopt a Piece of Texas History Through the TxDOT Historic Bridge Legacy Program
March 14, 2025 – PARIS – The Texas Department of Transportation oversees a Historic Bridge Legacy Program to facilitate the adoption of historic bridges that outlive utility for vehicular service. All bridges available under this program are listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The bridges are owned by TxDOT, cities, or counties and merit special consideration of their potential for preservation in the community. The primary emphasis of the program is to find a new public use for the bridges, such as along a hike-and-bike trail or in a public park.
A historic bridge in Grayson County at Craft Road crossing Choctaw Creek Tributary is currently available for adoption. For more information, please contact TxDOT Paris District Public Information Officer, Kristen Prater at [email protected] or 903-737-9213 or visit www.txdot.gov, keyword search “adopt a bridge.”
The Craft Road bridge is a Camelback pony metal truss bridge built in 1920. The bridge originally carried a railroad, but it was relocated to its current spot in 1950 and widened. The bridge is significant for its engineering history as a local example of a truss bridge. The bridge is in poor condition but with needed repairs and overall painting, the truss could be repurposed as a pedestrian bridge. At a minimum, cleaning, painting, and sealing of deformed members would be required. An engineering analysis for the allowable load rating and desired pedestrian bridge width would be required to determine if more extensive repairs are needed.
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