The Old Iron Bridge: A Historic Landmark in Bastrop, Texas

The Old Iron Bridge, also known as the Colorado River Bridge, located on State Highway Loop 150 in Bastrop, Texas, was constructed in 1923. It exemplifies the Parker steel-truss style, a truss design that was commonly used in bridges in Texas and the U.S. from the 1920s to the 1940s. The concrete and steel structure is 1,285 feet long and has three steel through truss spans, each measuring 192 feet in length. It was among the largest bridges in Texas at the time and remains one of the earliest examples of Parker steel-truss bridges still intact in the state.

The route where the Old Iron Bridge stands was once part of the Old San Antonio Road, the Spanish route connecting San Antonio with East Texas missions, which was believed to have been established in Bastrop after 1790. Initially, residents and travelers in Bastrop crossed the Colorado River by walking or fording wagons, freight, or livestock during low water. By the late 1860s, as Bastrop expanded, ferries became a popular and safer transportation option. However, high fees, unreliable service, and dangerous conditions led to dissatisfaction. In response to these issues, a contract was eventually awarded to build the first Old Iron Bridge.

The original bridge, replaced by the current structure, was commissioned by the Bastrop Bridge Company, organized on October 8, 1889. The company subcontracted the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company on December 2, 1889, to construct the bridge, which was completed on September 1, 1890, and inaugurated in January 1891.

The bridge was 1,369 feet long, with two wrought-iron cantilever trusses, each 301 feet long. The structure cost $45,000 to build. Initially a toll bridge, it quickly made the ferry industry in Bastrop obsolete, but concerns arose about individuals bypassing tolls by fording the river during low-water levels. In December 1898 the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company sold the bridge to Bastrop County for $24,200, and it was converted into a toll-free crossing.

In 1921 Bastrop residents voted to raise taxes, and Bastrop County issued road bonds to fund a new bridge. The decision was prompted by the rise of automobiles as the main mode of transportation in Texas after World War I. The original Old Iron Bridge had wooden flooring and was deemed inadequate for automobile weight. Residents feared that it lacked sufficient height to withstand floods, as records indicated that floodwaters in 1913 came within approximately three feet of the bridge’s roadway.

The Texas Highway Department awarded a $167,500 contract to the Kansas City Bridge Company for a second bridge, completed in 1923 and inaugurated the following year. The original Old Iron Bridge was dismantled in the 1930s, but the second bridge retained its name. The state managed the bridge during the Great Depression due to the city’s financial constraints.

The Old Iron Bridge served as the main crossing for more than sixty years, linking Austin to Houston and facilitating connectivity to and from downtown Bastrop. As downtown traffic increased, the expansion of Texas State Highway 71 in 1960 led to the construction of a new highway and direct route to Houston that bypassed downtown Bastrop and the Old Iron Bridge.

In 1992 the bridge was officially inspected and permanently closed to vehicular traffic, except for single crossings by repair crews. It remained open to pedestrians and became part of Bastrop’s downtown park system. That same year, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) introduced an adjacent bridge as part of Texas State Highway Loop 50. In 2013 this bridge was renamed the Chief Petty Officer Stephen "Matt" Mills Bridge, a Navy SEAL and casualty of the war in Afghanistan.

In 1993 ownership of the Old Iron Bridge was transferred from TxDOT to the city of Bastrop. City officials installed antique lighting to replicate the original appearance of the bridge's early light bulbs. In July 1994 the Bastrop Chamber of Commerce hosted the Old Iron Bridge Festival, formerly the Loblolly Festival. The festival aimed to attract tourists and commemorate the bridge's historical significance as a follow-up to the July 4th celebrations.

In 2001 and 2009 city officials confirmed that the bridge underwent two inspections. A TxDOT investigation in December 2009 deemed the bridge safe for pedestrians and cyclists and gave portions of the bridge a rating of five out of eight, indicating a borderline condition requiring constant monitoring and some maintenance. In 2010 Bastrop mayor Terry Orr announced that the city would assess the Old Iron Bridge as part of a long-term goal program. The city of Bastrop conducted a follow-up inspection in 2011.

A 2014 inspection by the Austin-based engineering firm Burgess & Niple found that parts of the bridge were 50 percent deteriorated and recommended immediate repairs in those areas. The estimated repair costs were $960,000, but the bridge was ultimately not repaired. In 2018 the city of Bastrop hired the engineering firm Kimley-Horn for $200,000 to conduct a repair assessment, which estimated the cost at $1,285,000. Significant corrosion was found in several gusset plates, and Kimley-Horn warned of a potential collapse if deterioration continued. As a result, city officials announced the indefinite closure of the Old Iron Bridge in November 2018. The paint also contained up to 13 percent lead, exceeding the federal limit of 1 percent. Consequently, the city allocated $2 million from a $4.7 million bond for the rehabilitation of the Old Iron Bridge.

In November 2023 the 100th anniversary of the Old Iron Bridge was celebrated at Neighbor's Kitchen and Yard, a downtown Bastrop restaurant overlooking the bridge. In January 2024 the city of Bastrop added the Old Iron Bridge repairs to their city council agenda. City officials hired the Austin-based engineering firm Huitt-Zollars, Inc., to develop the initial repair assessment and scope of work for $1.1 million. The design phase was set to begin in March 2025, with construction expected to be completed by April 2027. The city allocated $18 million for the project.

The Old Iron Bridge is a cultural and historic landmark, central to many Bastrop traditions. In the 1980s historian Ken Kessellus founded the International Society of Bridge Spitters, where people gathered annually to spit off the Old Iron Bridge. The practice was inspired by a 1960s episode of The Andy Griffith Show. In 1986 the bridge appeared in the opening scene of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (see THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE [FRANCHISE]). Recognized for its historical significance, the Old Iron Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Records indicate that another Bastrop bridge, also known as the Old Iron Bridge, exists on North Main Street near a Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) electrical substation and Piney Creek. Built in 1889, this bridge now sits abandoned.