Plata Bridge

{{Short description|Historic bridge in Bayamón and Naranjito municipalities, Puerto Rico}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Plata Bridge

| nrhp_type =

| image = Puente La Plata desde Bayamon.jpg

| caption =

| location = Bayamón / Naranjito, Puerto Rico

| coordinates = {{coord|18.30384|-66.21132|region:PR_type:landmark|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Puerto Rico

| map_label = Plata Bridge

| map_caption = Location of the Plata Bridge in Puerto Rico

| map_alt = Locator map

| area =

| built = 1908

| builder = American Bridge Co., Groton Bridge Co., Jose Lago

| architecture = Parker truss

| added = July 19, 1995

| mpsub = {{NRHP url|id=64500544|title=Historic Bridges of Puerto Rico MPS}}

| refnum = 95000849{{NRISref|2009a}}

| designated_other1_name = Puerto Rico Historic Sites and Zones

| designated_other1_color = #fa7070

| designated_other1_num_position = bottom

| designated_other1_number = 2000-(RMSJ)-00-JP-SH

| designated_other1_abbr = RNSZH

| designated_other1_date = February 3, 2000

}}

Plata Bridge ({{langx|es|Puente Plata}}), listed in Puerto Rico's bridge inventory as Bridge #374 and now also known as Antiguo Puente Plata, was built in 1908. It is significant as "the only extant large multi span truss bridge in Puerto Rico", according to its nomination document for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It includes two Parker truss spans and was built in 1908. It brought what is now Puerto Rico Highway 167Per Google and Bing maps, including their satellite views, accessed May 16, 2016. across the Rio La Plata, spanning from Bayamon municipality and into Naranjito, and connected several mountain towns to the coastal road along Puerto Rico's north coast.

It consists of two steel Parker trusses, each span of length {{convert|42|m|ft}}, atop massive masonry supports, {{convert|40|ft|m}} tall. The masonry includes ashlar buttresses and relief decoration. A contractor, Jose Lago, built its masonry supports for $9,000. The trusses cost $13,228 and were manufactured by the prolific American Bridge Co. They were installed by American Bridge Co.'s subsidiary Groton Bridge Co.{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=95000849}}|title=Plata Bridge|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=2016-05-16|author=Luis Pumarada O'Neill and PRSHPO |date=July 31, 1994}} with {{NRHP url|id=95000849|photos=y|title=3 photos from 1993}} It was one of nine steel bridges built in 1908 that were financed by Puerto Rico's first public works bond issue, of 1906, which raised $1 million.{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=64500544}} |title=Historic Bridges of Puerto Rico, c. 1840 – 1950 |publisher=National Park Service|access-date=2016-05-13|author=Luis F. Pumarada O'Neill |date=July 31, 1994}}{{rp|16}}

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 and on the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 2000.{{Cite web |last=GOBIERNO DE PUERTO RICO |first=JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO |date=December 7, 2022 |title=REGISTRO DE PROPIEDADES DESIGNADAS POR LA JUNTA DE PLANIFICACIÓN DE PUERTO RICO |url=https://jp.pr.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/REGISTRO-OFICIAL-DE-SITIOS-Y-ZONAS-HISTORICAS-DESIGNADAS-Rev.-DIC-2022.pdf |website=jp.pr.gov}} At the time, the setting was relatively unchanged from its date of construction, although a modern bridge had been built adjacent to it. And it was deemed to have "a high degree of integrity of design, workmanship, feeling, association, materials, and setting." Its condition was then judged "fair".

It is now unused. The modern bridge that carries traffic is on the upstream side of the historic bridge. Faster connection to the coast is now provided by Puerto Rico Highway 5, which crosses the Rio la Plata on the cable-stayed Jesús Izcoa Moure Bridge about {{convert|2|mi|km}} downstream. On August 28, 2017 the bridge collapsed, thus being an unstable half of the historic bridge.