Twin Bridges Over Verdigris

9/1/08 - Twin bridges over the Verdigris River, Oklahoma, Route 66.

Between Claremore and Catoosa you will pass over two huge steel truss bridges that cross the Verdigris River. This is a four lane section of old Route 66. Both bridges served original Route 66 travelers but were built more than 20 years apart. The original bridge (now the westbound bridge) was built in 1936 and the second (now serving eastbound traffic) was built in 1957 to handle the increase in traffic. The locals often refer to this pair of mismatched bridges as “Felix” and “Oscar”!

*Interesting fact: The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System ends at the Port of Catoosa just north of the Route 66 bridges that cross the Verdigris River. The Port of Catoosa is the most inland ocean port in the United States. The McCKARNS runs for 445 miles, connecting Catoosa to the Gulf of Mexico, and the rest of the water-covered world.