The Villarán Bridge (Spanish: Puente Villarán), also known as the Canóvanas Bridge, is a historic bridge over the Canóvanas River in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico. Built in 1892 on the highway between Río Piedras and Río Grande, its iron superstructure was imported from Europe and set on masonry abutments. It is the best-preserved example of an Eiffel pony truss bridge in Puerto Rico or the United States. By 1994, the bridge had been replaced by an adjacent span for vehicular use, but it remained open for pedestrian use.[1]

Villarán Bridge
Photograph of the Villarán Bridge, a narrow, one-lane, single-span bridge set on masonry abutments
The Villarán Bridge in 2012
Locator map
Locator map
Location of Canóvanas and the Villarán Bridge in Puerto Rico
LocationHighway 9959, km 3
Canóvanas, Puerto Rico
Coordinates18°22′45″N 65°53′32″W / 18.379213°N 65.892087°W / 18.379213; -65.892087
Area149.04 m2 (1,604.3 sq ft)[1]
Built1892
Architectural styleEiffel pony truss
MPSHistoric Bridges of Puerto Rico MPS[1]
NRHP reference No.95000835
RNSZH No.2000-(RMSJ)-00-JP-SH
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 19, 1995
Designated RNSZHFebruary 3, 2000

The bridge was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1995 and to the Puerto Rico Register of Historic Sites and Zones in 2000.[2][3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Pumarada O'Neill, Luis (July 31, 1994), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Villarán Bridge (PDF), retrieved January 3, 2016.
  2. ^ National Park Service (July 28, 1995), Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 7/17/95 through 7/21/95 (PDF), retrieved January 3, 2016.
  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.
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