Nine-Mile Bridge

Nine-Mile Bridge
1921 postcard of Nine-Mile Bridge with Casino Beach visible in the background
Coordinates	32°49′15″N97°26′47″W / 32.820878°N 97.446284°W / 32.820878; -97.446284
Carried	2 lanes of Texas State Highway 199
Crossed	Lake Worth (formerly Trinity River)
Locale	Forth Worth, Texas
Named for	Nine miles from Tarrant County Courthouse
Maintained by	Texas Department of Transportation
Characteristics
Material	Concrete (formerly wood)
Width	50 feet (15 m)
History
Opened	1914
Rebuilt	1928–1930
Destroyed	1953
Location

The Nine-Mile Bridge is a bridge crossing Lake Worth in Fort Worth, Texas.

History

1932 postcard of Casino Beach with the Nine-Mile Bridge visible in the foreground

Nine-Mile Bridge bridge is not nine miles in length, but is instead named for being nine miles from Tarrant County Courthouse. Built 1912, the first bridge was thin and wooden, and often caused traffic congestion. ^[1] Once crossing the Trinity River, it crossed the newly-created Lake Worth following the completion of the Lake Worth Dam in 1914. ^[2]

In 1928, another Nine-Mile Bridge began construction, this one being around 1,000 feet (0.30 km) northwest of the previous and connecting to Texas State Highway 199. Costing $350,000, the bridge was 50 feet wide—36 feet for roadway and 14 feet for sidewalk. The bridge opened on May 7, 1930, close in time to the reopening of nearby Casino Beach. ^[2] The old bridge was kept to mitigate congestion from Casino Beach, until 1953, when the 49th Armored Division used an artillery tractor to clear the bridge for speedboat races, besides for a stretch in the middle which became a platform for judges. ^[1]

References

1. Lale, Cissy Stewart; Ladd, Sweetie (1999). Sweetie Ladd's Historic Fort Worth. TCU Press. ISBN   978-0-87565-196-5.
2. Association, Texas State Historical. "The History of Casino Beach: A Recreational Gem in Fort Worth". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2025-06-01.