State Looks At Options To Replace Historic Route 66 Bridge

The Oklahoma State Department of Transportation says an old Route 66 bridge built in 1936 east of Afton needs to be replaced.  

The problem is the Horse Creek bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and cannot be torn down.  

The road is part of Highway 60/66 in Ottawa County.

ODOT officials tell KOAM, the CBS affiliate in Joplin, Missouri, the 80-year-old bridge has been deemed structurally deficient.

According to the department, Horse Creek Bridge is one of the few remaining two-lane bridges in Oklahoma that has dual pedestrian walkways. 

"We always have to look at alternatives to the replacement of the bridge which is a full rehab, we also look at a one way pair, leaving it in place as a monument or as a pedestrian facility where it won't carry vehicular traffic," says ODOT official Scott Sundermeyer.

ODOT is still considering its options and no decision has been made.