(BNSF+KRR)/Frisco over Lake Texoma near Durant and Sand Point OK

(Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

KRR = Kiamichi Railroad  

The bents look quite modern, but this 1944 photo shows that they are rather old. This trestle is an interesting combination of steel girders over reinforced concrete bents. Most bridges that use concrete in the substructure also use it in the superstructure. 

Photo taken by Reston, George in 1944 via Bridge Hunter, License: Public domain: Released by author
The 4,070-foot structure shown above was built to carry the Frisco railroad across the Washita river arm of the Denison Dam 1944.

The Denison Dam started impounding water in 1943 so this was probably taken when Lake Texoma was still filling up. This bridge was part of the dam construction project because about 30 miles of railroad track had to be relocated to avoid being inundated by water. [YouTube @ 18:05]

I'm glad that I noticed that this bridge was in Oklahoma. When I saw Sand Point and a trestle, I first thought of the BNSF trestle in Idaho.

David Hawkins posted
BNSF 9297 southbound loaded coal to Donie Texas crossing the long trestle across Lake Texoma on the BNSF Madill sub at MP 620 on Sunday 10/04/2020
Stan Newbury Vnvlv MC: Laid ribbon rail on that bridge in 80 or 81

 

David Hawkins posted

BNSF 6273 east WFEC loaded coal at Sand Point OK on 12/26/2020 - Lake Texoma.

C-NAMMAH0-09A with a Kiamichi crew on board heading to Fort Towson OK to the Hugo Western coal plant.

(WESTERN FARMERS ELECTRIC C0-OP)

Two photos taken by Jack Robertson from Bridge Hunter. The first one shows how high the lake was during a flood in 2007. The second one helps show that the 2007 level was quite high.

1
I took this photo from my boat looking at the main span of the ex frisco railroad bridge during the flood of 2007 of lake texoma. I was on the southside looking north.

2
I took this photo from my boat looking at the main span of the ex frisco railroad bridge over lake texoma. I was on the east end of the bridge and the northside looking south back in Feb 2013.

In fact, if Jack caught the 2007 flood at its peak, water was flowing over the emergency spillway, which is at 640'. 

USACE-2007

The only other time in the 21st Century that the water exceeded the spillway elevation was 2015. Note that the water was about 5' higher than it was in 2007. Looking at Jack's photo, the water must have been touching the deck girders and getting awfully close to the truss span. In fact, it did touch the truss span. [YouTube @ 4:07] Actually, the bridge in the video is of the US-70 road bridge because of the electrical wires on the side of the truss. But both bridges were probably built with the same flood clearance specifications.

USACE-2015