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General Norzagaray Bridge

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Coordinates: 18°21′07″N 66°05′29″W / 18.35186°N 66.09143°W / 18.35186; -66.09143
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General Norzagaray Bridge
General Norzagaray Bridge is located in Puerto Rico
General Norzagaray Bridge
Nearest citySan Juan, Puerto Rico
Coordinates18°21′07″N 66°05′29″W / 18.35186°N 66.09143°W / 18.35186; -66.09143
Arealess than one acre
Built1855, 1927
ArchitectManuel Sanchez-Nunez y Layne
EngineerGustavo Steinacher
Architectural stylebrick barrel vault
MPSHistoric Bridges of Puerto Rico MPS
NRHP reference No.95000833[1]
RNSZH No.2000-(RMSJ)-00-JP-SH
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 19, 1995
Designated RNSZHFebruary 3, 2000

The General Norzagaray Bridge is a brick and masonry barrel vault bridge built in 1855 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Also known as Puente de los Frailes, it brings what is now Puerto Rico Highway 873 across Frailes Creek, a tributary to the Guaynabo River. It has eight 9.8-metre (32 ft) barrel vault spans. Its total length is 120.7 metres (396 ft) and its roadway width is 7.00 metres (22.97 ft).[2] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1995,[1] and on the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 2000.[3]

In 1855, it was important for carrying the Carretara Central across Quebrada Frailes.[2]

It is named for Fernándo de Norzagaray y Escudero, governor of Puerto Rico from 1852 to 1855.[2]

It was designed by chief engineer Manuel Sanchez-Nunez y Layne and built by engineer Gustavo Steinacher (who also designed and built the first suspension bridge in the Caribbean, over the Cagüitas River just north of Caguas, Puerto Rico[4]) and cost 45,346 pesos.[2]

According to its NRHP registration, it "is one of the most impressive bridges from the Spanish Colonial period", serving as a "prime example of Spanish 19th century masonry arch technology".[2] It is the only such example in the United States.[2]

The superstructure of the bridge was modified in 1927 by removal of earth fill and addition of steel girders installed on the arch piers to support a concrete deck. This does not interfere significantly with the historic integrity of the bridge.[2]

It spans between what are now the barrios of Caimito and Tortugo in San Juan.

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  • Norzagaray Bridge
    Norzagaray Bridge
  • Norzagaray Bridge in 1906
    Norzagaray Bridge in 1906

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Pumarada O'Neill, Luis (July 31, 1994). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: General Norzagaray Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved May 27, 2016. With photos from 1989 & 1993
  3. ^ GOBIERNO DE PUERTO RICO, JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO (December 7, 2022). "REGISTRO DE PROPIEDADES DESIGNADAS POR LA JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO" (PDF). jp.pr.gov.
  4. ^ Pumarada O'Neill, Luis F. (July 31, 1994). "Historic Bridges of Puerto Rico, c. 1840–1950". National Park Service. pp. 7, 9. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
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