Washed-away Joppa Bridge found mangled downstream
The 1907-built Joppa Bridge was washed away by the San Gabriel River during a flash flood July 4. Remains of the iron-truss structure were found on private property downstream the following week. Courtesy photo
The historic Joppa Bridge was found in a twisted heap of metal and debris on private land in Burnet County a week after it was washed away in flash floods that devastated Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend.
The iron-truss bridge spanned the San Gabriel River in northeast Burnet County at the intersection of County Roads 210, 272, and 200. It was erected in 1907 and used until the Texas Department of Transportation built a new bridge in 2000.
The Joppa Bridge and the Russel Fork Bridge, another iron-truss structure 2 miles south, both received Texas Historical Markers in 2017. The Russell Fork Bridge is still standing, but damaged. Repairs to the Joppa Bridge were pending before the flood.
“We were in the process of getting bids to get the wood flooring fixed and the iron trusses braced and strengthened,” said Burnet County Precinct 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle. “We only got one bid but haven’t had a chance to open it yet.”
Beierle estimated it would have cost $50,000 to $75,000 to strengthen the bridge. The county installed an electrical pole last year to make it easier for the community to decorate the bridge with lights for Christmas.
“We will have to pull it out (of the river) in pieces,” Beierle said. “I don’t know if the bridge has much of a future.”
The newly formed Friends of Joppa Community held a meeting the weekend of July 12, immediately after the bridge was found.
“It was a good meeting,” said Rachel Bryson, who grew up in Joppa and crossed the bridge almost every day to get to school. “The Joppa community is already thinking about what to do next. We can’t replace the bridge, but there are other ways to tell the story of the bridge and its place in history.”
Burnet County was expected to send out a public statement on Tuesday, July 15, about having located the bridge. That statement was not received as of DailyTrib.com deadline, but others had seen it.
“I was sent a statement by the county that they will work with the private landowner for removal,” said Joppa resident Delbert Cain. “But that will take some time.”
Another Joppa resident and member of the community association, Toni Schmid, posted a video and pictures of the mangled bridge on YouTube.
“It’s not recognizable,” she said. “Below the water, you can see the twisted metal. We are going to give it time, and when the water goes down, the county will get in there and salvage what they can.”
Cain and an assistant were able to rescue a plaque from the top of the bridge, although it came off in pieces with some parts missing. All parts were immediately sent to a foundry for repair. The plaque reads: William Payson Contractor 1907.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said the Joppa and Russell Fork bridges received Texas Historical Markers in 1979. They actually both got markers in 2017. DailyTrib.com apologizes for the error.