Just down the road a ways from the church at Dubina you can cross the Piano Bridge over the Navidad River. Built in 1895 by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, this bridge has been crossed by riders on horseback, wagons, horse-drawn carriages, Model Ts, tractors and modern automobiles. It is (was) called the Piano Bridge because of the twanging musical sound it made as it was crossed. It is one of the few iron truss bridges remaining in Texas suitable for automobile traffic.
I had read online it was in disrepair and I had seen accounts where some people who were visiting the painted churches in the area were afraid to drive over it. It looked pretty sturdy to me and in very good condition, even though it is a weight-limited bridge.
That's probably because in 2012 the bridge underwent a massive restoration. Some wanted to tear it down and replace with it with a more modern structure. For a long while, the future of the historic bridge was uncertain. But saner minds held fast and funds were received from the Federal Bridge Program and the State of Texas and the bridge was restored in 2011 right on site and reopened for traffic in the spring of 2012. Unfortunately, the piano sound that once was made when you drove over the bridge is no longer there, but the restoration has saved a historic bridge for generations to come. Several articles on the Internet about the restoration including photos can be found on the Internet. And, yes, had I seen the bridge before it was restored I might have chosen not to cross it!
15 comments:
so glad they saved it, really beautiful bridge and a work of ART... to bad they could not save the sound.. i like lookig at it and thinking about horse and wagon going across it.
And it's called Piano because of what? Did someone throw a piano off of it? Did one tumble off of a Model T wayback? A family name? Ah... a town name? Help me with this one.
So glad it was saved but too bad the sound isn't there any longer.
What a wonderful looking bridge I'm glad it was restored. Too bad about the musical sound being lost but, at least the look of the bridge is still there and it's safe to use.
glad they chose to save it, even if giving up the sound. :)
I was very curious about the name, but now I understand it. :-) Love the 1885 sign.
Regarding your comment on tiles:
The tile industry is alive and kicking! :-) The "problem" is that, in my opinion, modern 'classic' tiles don't have the charm of the weathered old ones. However, when it comes to contemporary design it's another story, as, for instance, we have on subway stations:
http://www.vortexmag.net/metro-de-lisboa-arte-debaixo-do-solo/
Great looking bridge.
They need to preserve those older bridges. They add a lot of personality to the roadways:) I can only imagine the condition of it BEFORE the restoration. Yikes!
Glad they restored it. It looks beautiful and I also think it makes for some great photography.
Mersad
Mersad Donko Photography
That's neat that they renovated it..wonderful. It looks pretty sturdy now, but saving the twang would have been pretty cool, too.
Necessary upgrading but so sad that the musical quality was lost. A very good-looking structure.
Kudos to the people who fought to restore this bridge rather than replace it! Pity the piano sound is no longer, but at least we can see this lovely structure.
That's a funny way to get a name for a bridge!
Well worth saving!
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