Puente Ferroviario San Antonio, Spanning San Antonio Channel at PR-1, San Juan, San Juan Municipio, PR

Significance: The San Antonio railroad bridge is a concrete structure built between 1922 and 1932, consisting of arch-framed slab spans with art-deco railings and spandrel walls. It was designed to replace a 1890 steel truss bridge without interrupting the train schedules. This was done by building the arch frame structure under the steel spans, then erecting the slabs to replace the steel joists beneath the rail ties. It was designed and produced by the renowned Puerto Rican engineer Etienne Totti, Chief Engineer of the American Railroad Company of Puerto Rico. It is now abandoned, but has suffered no significant alterations. This bridge lies next the modern occupant of the island's most historic bridge site. It is listed as an exceptional concrete bridge in Puerto Rico's Inventory of Historic Bridges and mentioned in the National Register's Multiple Property Nomination of Puerto Rico's Bridges and in its Associated Historic Context: Land Transportation in Puerto Rico, c.1508-1950. Although its structure is not significant in engineering terms, important items provide historic significance: total length; number of spans; decorative elements; exemplification of the work of masters; construction technology; the important route that it served; and its surroundings.
Survey number: HAER PR-37