National Register of Historic Places

San Luis Bridge

San Luis, Costilla County, Colorado
Listed
February 4, 1985
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85000195

About this property

The San Luis Bridge, also known as State Bridge or Bridge over Culebra Creek, is a historic open spandrel arch bridge that crosses Culebra Creek in San Luis, Colorado. It was built in 1911 as a road bridge, but now serves pedestrian traffic. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1909, the Colorado Legislature appropriated $2,000 for a highway bridge over Culebra Creek near San Luis. The bridge was designed by the State Engineer, and the work was advertised in the Rocky Mountain News. Bids were received on August 20, 1910, from Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Midland Bridge Company, Cuno Engineering and Construction Company, and M.F. Levy Construction Company. M.F. Levy bid lowest at $4700 and was awarded the contract. The difference was funded by an appropriation from the Board of County Commissioners of Costilla County. Because of high water in the creek, abutment excavation was delayed until February 22, 1911. Construction was finished in May 1911; Costilla county paid $2,860.35. The bridge originally carried State Highway 15, but by the 1980s it carried a county road. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 4, 1985. In 2007, the State Historical Fund granted $150,300 to the county to restore the bridge for pedestrian and bicycle use. The bridge has a single, 57-foot-long (17 m) span made of reinforced concrete. It has an open spandrel arch design, a style uncommonly used in the Rocky Mountains. The San Luis Bridge is significant as one of the few State Bridges extant in Colorado, and one of the oldest and least modified open arch bridges in the state. The bridge deck is a 5 inches (0.13 m) concrete slab, supported on the arch by six concrete columns. The guardrails are made of steel pipe. National Register of Historic Places listings in Costilla County, Colorado List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado List of Colorado Department of Highways bridges on the National Register of Historic Places

Location

San Luis, Costilla County, Colorado
37.19368, -105.43098

Categories

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Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Plaza de San Luis de la Culebra
Listed
0.4 mi
Rito Seco Creek Culvert
Industrial
0.5 mi
Salazar, A.A., House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Iglesia de San Pedro y San Pablo
Industrial
2.8 mi
Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepcion
Industrial
3.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was San Luis Bridge listed on the National Register?

San Luis Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 4, 1985.

What type of historic resource is San Luis Bridge?

San Luis Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for San Luis Bridge?

The period of significance for San Luis Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near San Luis Bridge?

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