Recognize this old Bridge?

[beardking]

Byars Bridge. Built in 1902 for the Train Track. We Jeeped today, hit the river and made a day out of it!

Last photo shows it from a side shot, not our photo, but it shows all three spans. I as a youngster have climbed and walked all three spans many many times. We have ran that river from Purcell to Lake Eufaula on Dirt Bikes, ATVs, UTVs, Horse Back and Jeeps over my life.


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I actually have a photo of my 2013 Honda Sabre on that bridge. Almost got in an accident with a box truck taking that photo because he came onto it going a LOT faster than he should have been (especially with my friend and I illegally parked across it ). I'll have to find it on my computer since it's not in my phone anymore.

 

[CharlieWH2O]

Been over Byars Bridge many times. Been wondering how this wound up here?

 

[CHenry]

My folks lived down there while the Bridge O’ Doom was closed/under construction. It wasn’t just an inconvenience, it was actually a public safety issue—Wadley’s in Purcell provides the ambulance service for the Lex area, so they had to open a temporary location on the Lex side while the bridge was closed. They also had to take folks to Norman instead of Purcell for the duration. (Not a criticism, just an observation—as you noted, a failure of the bridge while in service would’ve been a lot worse.)

A friend of my dad’s was a retired oilfield welder, and he did a lot of the welding on the bridge while they were doing the emergency repairs to get it back open. He said the biggest problem they had was that you can’t weld rust to rust…

The odd thing about that whole mess was that they had the I-35 and Asher bridges under construction when the Bridge O’ Doom had its emergency closure, so that one-lane bridge on 102 was the only bridge across the Canadian for about 50 miles in either direction that was completely open.

Oh yes, it was a schit show for sure but it was an emergency design/ construct that went from 8 years to 1. ODOT got no credit, only complaints every single day.
The traveling public act entitled to good roads and any new construction to make improvements brings out the real people's attitude.
The traveling public has NO appreciation for how good our highway system is.
None, it's pathetic.

 

[dennishoddy]

We have a trussed bridge just like that near Skeedee in Osage County.
When it was built, Model A's could pass side by side but these days it's one lane.
I hear it's to be replaced.
Back in the day nobody used that bridge. We would take rifles and shoot gar and carp from the bridge for hours without any vehicle passing.

 

[CHenry]

Oh it definitely needed the work, no argument here. I think they were mostly pissed because it was allowed to get that bad.

There was alot of talk that the bridge inspectors were not inspecting the trusses, just the super structure below. That was because the plans originally called for X type rivet and the contractor used Y type rivets to save money and it was never caught. It became an emergency closure for a dam good reason with no one left alive to blame.

 

[CHenry]

We have a trussed bridge just like that near Skeedee in Osage County.
When it was built, Model A's could pass side by side but these days it's one lane.
I hear it's to be replaced.
Back in the day nobody used that bridge. We would take rifles and shoot gar and carp from the bridge for hours without any vehicle passing.

Not a state highway trusses are 100% gone today on the state system.

 

[Shadowrider]

Oh yes, it was a schit show for sure but it was an emergency design/ construct that went from 8 years to 1. ODOT got no credit, only complaints every single day.
The traveling public act entitled to good roads and any new construction to make improvements brings out the real people's attitude.
The traveling public has NO appreciation for how good our highway system is.
None, it's pathetic.

I think it's because the public thinks you guys make the maintenance DECSIONS and fund them. You don't, You just tell the people that do what it needs, what it costs, etc. and then those that do make the decisions don't want to put out the money, and we end up with bridges that are falling apart. Then you guys get blamed for it falling apart.

Schools are failing us on the most basic level of civics. It's just sad. I just saw a report on the tube that stated that 41% of young people are OK with that UHC guy being gunned down in cold blood and that it was justified. FFS we are sooooo damned screwed...

 

[CHenry]

I think it's because the public thinks you guys make the maintenance DECSIONS and fund them. You don't, You just tell the people that do what it needs, what it costs, etc. and then those that do make the decisions don't want to put out the money, and we end up with bridges that are falling apart. Then you guys get blamed for it falling apart.

Schools are failing us on the most basic level of civics. It's just sad. I just saw a report on the tube that stated that 41% of young people are OK with that UHC guy being gunned down in cold blood and that it was justified. FFS we are sooooo damned screwed...

Maintenance is most often contracted out by yearly bid but that's for nothing involving any engineering. Repairs to damaged guardrails, signs, potholes and snow/ice trucks. Bridges are all engineered for whatever reconstruction or redecking or even superstructure work to paint steel beams etc. Paint on those beams is important and salt on those bridges is the end of those beams early.

 

[2busy]

Still have fouche Maline bridge down here on state hwy.

 

[TerryMiller]

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Been over Byars Bridge many times. Been wondering how this wound up here?

Similarly, in Nebraska at the Smith Falls State Park, they have a bridge there that was originally located somewhere else in the area. (Link to the sign explaining the bridge below.)

Verdigre Bridge in Nebraska