Depression-Era New Deal Programs and Bridge Construction

Depression-Era New Deal Programs and Bridge Construction. . Once a local road between Bartlesville and Dewey, this roadway segment was designated as part of U.S. Highway (US) 75 in 1926. US 75 was one of Oklahoma's original U.S. Highways, connecting Bartlesville to Tulsa and beyond. This road became known as State Highway (SH-)123 when US 75 was moved to its present location approximately two miles to the east., Many U.S. Highways were improved with federal New Deal programs in the 1930s, providing jobs for people affected by the Great Depression. New Deal programs were active across Oklahoma. These efforts supported arts programs, land conservation, construction of public buildings, and infrastructure improvements. The Caney River Bridge, also known as the Cherokee Avenue Bridge, was constructed under the U.S. Works Progress Highway program between 1936 and 1937. The construction provided employment to local workers through the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program., WPA Road and Bridge Support , The Works Progress Administration (WPA, which later became the Works Projects Administration), was a New Deal agency that oversaw a wide variety of make-work projects, including civil engineering projects. In the middle of the depression the Oklahoma Highway Commission lacked enough money to build needed roads and bridges. A WPA allotment program provided the money to build roads and bridges across the state, including the 1937 Caney River Bridge., Captions , (Photo #1) 1927 Oklahoma state highway map. , (Photo #2) Late 1930s postcard of Caney River Bridge. , (Photo #3) Image from 1937-1938 Biennial Report of the Oklahoma Highway Commission. , (Photo #4) 1937 newspaper article about the new bridge. , (Photo #5) Caney River Bridge in 1941.