China Street Bridge

The China Street Bridge — the first bridge across the Brazos River at Brazoria — was a wood-decked center-pivot structure constructed in 1912. The following photo shows the bridge as it existing in the 1920s and 1930s.
Credit: Brazoria County Historical Museum

The bridge collapsed into the river in the 1930s during a period of high water, apparently due to failure of the southwest pier.   The center-pivot pier is all that remains today.   Although it was once in the center of the river, erosion of the soutwest bank and deposition on the northeast bank has moved the river westerly, with the result that the pier is no longer in the center of the river.

The following satellite image shows the pier as it exists today. Note that:

• The alignment of the original road is visible in the forest northeast of the river.
  
• The connection to China Street, although no longer visible, is apparent on the southwest bank of the river.

Credit: Wikimapia.org

The center pier as seen from the State Highway bridge, at high water:

The center pier from the southwest bank of the river, at low water:

The center pier from the southwest bank of the river, at low and high water: