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Resident urges Erath County to address failing Bluffdale Suspension Bridge and low-water crossing
Summary
A resident and member of the Erath County Historical Commission told county commissioners Oct. 27 that the historic Bluffdale Suspension Bridge is failing and should be addressed for public safety and preservation.
Kathy Hartman, speaking for the Erath County Historical Commission and as a longtime resident, urged the Erath County Commissioners Court on Oct. 27 to prioritize action on the Bluffdale Suspension Bridge (commonly known locally as the “old Swinging Bridge”). Hartman said the bridge carries a historical marker from the Texas Historical Commission and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a Texas antiquities list.
Hartman reviewed the bridge’s history: she said it was closed to vehicular traffic in 1989 and that, after the closure, residents of Berry’s Creek/County Road 149 used a nearby low-water crossing that can become impassable in high water. She said community fundraising raised about $3,000 to hire Sparks Engineering of Austin to assess the bridge; that assessment (as described in her remarks) estimated about $500,000 would be needed to rehabilitate the structure as a footbridge. She told the court that today that estimate would be materially higher and that the structure shifted in 2020 and currently leans to one side.
Hartman said Warrick Engineering of Hico recommended removal of the failing span in 2020 in the interest of public health and safety, noting the firm concluded a collapse could impede river flows, increase flooding risk for nearby properties and damage downstream structures. She emphasized public-safety concerns for County Road 149 residents, noting the low-water crossing has received little upkeep and that an ambulance had been called to that road four times this year. Hartman asked the county to prioritize resources to repair the low-water crossing and to consider preserving parts of the bridge for display rather than discarding historic components.
The speaker invited residents to a historical marker dedication at the Chalk Mountain Masonic Lodge on Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. County leadership acknowledged receipt of a 2020 report Hartman said she had provided.
No commission action on the bridge itself was on the agenda; Hartman’s remarks were heard during the public-comment portion of the meeting and were entered into the public record.
