Built in 1917, the old 11th Street Bridge (now the Cyrus Avery Route 66 Memorial Bridge), was the first concrete and steel-reinforced bridge to cross the Arkansas River anywhere in the United States. It has 18 spans and is 1,470.6 feet long. The original balustrades were classical in design and it featured Victorian-era lighting. In 1929 the guardrails and lighting were replaced with Art Deco designs. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996 and is considered to be in poor condition.
Cyrus Avery was appointed to the Joint Board on Interstate Highways in 1924. In 1925, that board received approval from the American Association of State Highway Officials for a proposed National Highway System. The first highway as part of this new system was a sweeping highway from Chicago to Santa Monica. Avery convinced the AASHO that the best route for this proposed highway would be through Tulsa via the old 11th Street Bridge.
The historic significance of this bridge makes it a major tourist attraction for the city and state. Rehabilitating the bridge will allow us to preserve history and make the bridge accessible for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, available for popup shops, events, etc. It is currently closed to all motor and pedestrian traffic.