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H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge

H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridges

Published September 23, 2025 By Sherman Cahal

The H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridges were two truss bridges that crossed the original channel of the Verdigris River near Catoosa, Oklahoma.

Table Of Contents
  1. History
  2. Gallery

The H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridges were two truss bridges that crossed the original channel of the Verdigris River, now called Bird Creek, near Catoosa, Oklahoma. The spans were named in 1957 in honor of H. Tom Kight Jr., a public servant who was the Claremore city attorney from 1935 to 1945, State Senator from 1950 to 1954, and a State Highway Commissioner member in 1955 and Chairman in 1956. 1

History

Wofford Ferry and 1915 Bridge

The Wofford Ferry was established by John Wofford, and later operated by his son Jim Wofford and his brothers, along the Vinita–Tulsa Trail (later Oklahoma State Route 1) at the mouth of Bird Creek near Catoosa, where it crossed the Verdigris River. 6 In 1883, the ferry was paralleled by the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad (Frisco) bridge.

The ferryboat itself was a raft made of native logs fastened together, with the tops hewn flat to form a floor. 6 It was later improved with flooring made of native lumber and, eventually, high-grade cypress lumber.

The Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company completed a new bridge, consisting of three 165-foot spans, in April 1915. 17 It was located 220 yards west of the railroad bridge.

1925 Bridge

The second bridge over the Verdigris River, with an 18-foot deck, was completed in 1925 and designated part of U.S. Route 66, which was established the following year, on November 11, 1926. 4

On November 30, 1933, one of the bridge spans collapsed under the weight of a freight truck. 8 Moments earlier, two cars had been involved in a minor collision on the bridge. After the wreck was cleared, the truck attempted to cross. Its front wheels had reached the western abutment when the span gave way, and the bridge settled to the riverbank 45 feet below. No injuries were reported, and temporary repairs were completed within two weeks.

Although the span was repaired in 1933, it was not considered structurally sound, and plans were made to replace the bridge. 5

1936 Bridge

Bids were advertised on May 28, 1935, for a new bridge over the Verdigris River, estimated at $191,468. 7 The project included a new alignment of U.S. Route 66 to eliminate several hazardous curves and grades.

Construction began in August 1935. 5 The new bridge opened on May 15, 1936—two months ahead of schedule. Built by M.E. Gillioz of Monett, Missouri, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Highway Commission, the six-span structure cost $180,000. 1 5 It featured three five-panel Camelback Parker pony trusses and three Parker “K” through trusses.

1956 Bridge

On September 13, 1955, bids were opened for a dedicated eastbound U.S. Route 66 bridge over the Verdigris River. 10 The project was estimated at $458,925 and called for six truss spans measuring 100 feet, 140 feet, 160 feet, and a main span of 210 feet.

The bridge opened to eastbound traffic in September 1956, coinciding with the widening of U.S. 66 to four lanes for six miles between Claremore and the Verdigris community, a project completed earlier that April. 9 The new structure was designed similarly to the 1936 bridge but provided a wider roadway deck and greater vertical clearance. The 1936 span was renovated to carry westbound traffic.

Later Years

Construction of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) began in 1963 to create a navigable waterway along the Arkansas, Verdigris, and other rivers for barge transportation. 3 The project produced a 445-mile channel, nine feet deep and 250–300 feet wide, designed to provide industries with a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable shipping route. The system officially opened in 1968 and was dedicated in 1971.

To accommodate the navigation system, a new Verdigris River crossing was required along U.S. Route 66. The M.J. Lee Construction Company of McAlester won the $2.459 million contract to build the new twin-deck plate girder structure. 13 The bridges were completed in September 1969. 12 Following the decommissioning of U.S. Route 66 in Oklahoma in 1985, the bridges became part of Oklahoma State Highway 66.

In 2010, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) reduced the weight limit on the 1936 bridge to 18 tons and restricted it to a single lane due to structural deterioration; it had a sufficiency rating of 2 out of 100. 16 That December, ODOT constructed emergency crossovers on both sides of the bridge to divert westbound traffic onto the 1956 span. The eastbound bridge was then reconfigured to carry one lane of traffic in each direction.

The 1936 bridge over the old channel of the Verdigris River, by then Bird Creek, was replaced between 2011 and 2012 with a conventional girder bridge at a cost of $7.5 million. 15 16 The main span and an approach span were relocated to Molly’s Landing restaurant nearby, while two other through trusses were moved to Rogers Landing, a public park.

Most recently, in December 2024, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation awarded a $7.2 million contract to replace the 1956 eastbound bridge on Oklahoma Route 66. 14 Work began in April 2025 and is expected to be completed in early 2026.

Gallery

H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge
H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge

Details

  • State: Oklahoma
  • Route: Oklahoma Route 66, Formerly U.S. Route 66
  • Status: Demolished (Replaced)
  • Type: Parker Pony Truss, Camelback Through Truss, K Through Truss, Parker Through Truss
  • Total Length: 825' (1936); 825' (1956); 848' (1969)
  • Main Span Length: 212' (1936); 212' (1956); 334' (1969)
  • Deck Width: 18' (1925); 24' (1936); 30' (1956); 56' (1969)
  • Above Vertical Clearance: 14.7' (1936); 15.6' (1956)

Sources

  1. Plaques.
  2. Holth, Nathan. “H. Tom Kight Jr. Bridge.” Historic Bridges, 7 Jun. 2016.
  3. Larry O’Dell, “McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System,” The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.
  4. “Map #15.” Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
  5. “Highway 66 to Open Friday.” Claremore Progress, 14 May 1936, p. 1.
  6. Chambers, Homer S. “Crossing the Verdigris River – Then and Now.” Tulsa World, 6 Dec. 1936, p. 4-12.
  7. “Ask Bids on River Bridge.” Claremore Progress, 23 May 1935, p. 1.
  8. “Verdigris River Bridge Collapses.” Chelsea Reporter, 30 Nov. 1933, p. 1.
  9. “Work Starts on Raising 66 Bed in Verdigris Bottoms.” Chelsea Reporter, 26 Apr. 1956, p. 1.
  10. “66 Right-of-Way Buying is Slated for September.” Chelsea Reporter, 25 Aug. 1955, p. 1.
  11. “Bridge Being Finished.” Tulsa World, 30 Aug. 1956, p. 2-1.
  12. “Bridging the New Verdigris River Navigation Channel.” Tulsa World, 16 Jul. 1969, p. A5.
  13. “Low Bidder on Bridge Announced.” Tulsa World, 21 Oct. 1967, p. A3.
  14. Hayman, Eric. “Remaining bridge over Bird Creek near Catoosa will be torn down.” Route 66 News, 11 Dec. 2024.
  15. “SH-66: Over Bird Creek (Northbound) & Road Under, 3.68 Miles North of I-44 in Rogers County, Oklahoma, JP 20899(09).” Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
  16. Off, Gavin. “ODOT sets public hearing on bridge work.” Tulsa World, 26 Jan. 2011, p. A8.
  17. “Material for the New Bridge Arriving.” Claremore Progress and Rogers County Democrat, 30 Dec. 1915, p. 5.

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