Plata Bridge

Plata Bridge (Spanish: Puente Plata), listed in Puerto Rico's bridge inventory as Bridge #374 and now also known as Antiguo Puente Plata, was built in 1908. It is significant as "the only extant large multi span truss bridge in Puerto Rico", according to its nomination document for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It includes two Parker truss spans and was built in 1908. It brought what is now Puerto Rico Highway 167[2] across the Rio La Plata, spanning from Bayamon municipality into and Naranjito, and connected several mountain towns to the coastal road along Puerto Rico's north coast.

Plata Bridge
Plata Bridge
Location of the Plata Bridge in Puerto Rico
LocationBayamón / Naranjito, Puerto Rico
Coordinates18°18′14″N 66°12′41″W
Built1908
Built byAmerican Bridge Co., Groton Bridge Co., Jose Lago
Architectural styleParker truss
MPSHistoric Bridges of Puerto Rico MPS
NRHP reference No.95000849[1]
Added to NRHPJuly 19, 1995

It consists of two steel Parker trusses, each span of length 42 metres (138 ft), atop massive masonry supports, 40 feet (12 m) tall. The masonry includes ashlar buttresses and relief decoration. A contractor, Jose Lago, built its masonry supports for $9,000. The trusses cost $13,228 and were manufactured by the prolific American Bridge Co.. They were installed by American Bridge Co.'s subsidiary Groton Bridge Co..[3] It was one of nine steel bridges built in 1908 that were financed by Puerto Rico's first public works bond issue, of 1906, which raised $1 million.[4]:16

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[1] At the time, the setting was relatively unchanged from its date of construction, although a modern bridge had been built adjacent to it. And it was deemed to have "a high degree of integrity of design, workmanship, feeling, association, materials, and setting." Its condition was then judged "fair".[3]

It is now unused. The modern bridge that carries traffic is on the upstream side of the historic bridge.[2] Faster connection to the coast is now provided by Puerto Rico Highway 5, which crosses the Rio la Plata on the cable-stayed Jesús Izcoa Moure Bridge about 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream. On August 28, 2017 the bridge collapsed, thus being an unstable half of the historic bridge.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Per Google and Bing maps, including their satellite views, accessed May 16, 2016.
  3. Luis Pumarada O'Neill and PRSHPO (July 31, 1994). "Plata Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-05-16. with 3 photos from 1993
  4. Luis F. Pumarada O'Neill (July 31, 1994). "Historic Bridges of Puerto Rico, c. 1840 – 1950". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-05-13.
  • Summary sheet from the Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office (in Spanish)
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