Telephone Road Bridge over Brays Bayou
historic place
The Telephone Road Bridge over Brays Bayou in Houston, Harris County, Texas, was originally constructed in 1931. This historic place was significant for its design, influenced by the City Beautiful movement. City bridge engineer J.G. McKenzie designed the bridge as a continuous span concrete girder structure. It featured cantilevered sidewalks, a concrete urn balustrade railing, and battered concrete bents. The bridge was recognized for its engineering and architectural significance at the state level. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The original 1931 bridge was later replaced as part of a flood damage reduction project, with construction completed in 2022. This replacement created a higher, longer, and wider bridge to increase the bayou's capacity for floodwaters. The Telephone Road Bridge over Brays Bayou represents an important example of early 20th-century bridge design in Houston.