Rainbow Bridge, Spanning Neches River at State Highway 87, Port Arthur, Jefferson County, TX

Significance: The Rainbow Bridge, with its vertical clearance of 176'-0", became the tallest bridge in the southern United States and one of the tallest in the world upon its completion. Its height was needed to allow for the passage of ocean-going cargo ships and tankers, for it spans the Neches River linking the busy port of Beaumont with the Gulf of Mexico. The bridge features a 680'-0" central cantilevered span, one of the longest in Texas, and an overall length of 7,752'-0". The sixty-three-span structure includes a continuous deck girder, prestressed concrete girder approach spans, and a three-span cantilever unit. The construction of the bridge required innovative engineering methods not only because of its height but also because it had to be built to withstand hurricane-force winds. Triangular steel piers with V-shaped bracing on concrete pedestals support the deck girder spans, and were designed specifically to transfer up to 150-mile-per-hour winds to the foundations. ...
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N538
Survey number: HAER TX-43
Building/structure dates: 1938 Initial Construction