bridge collected its first toll on January 1, 1870. Its span made it the first major suspension bridge in Texas. The bridge was wide enough for stagecoaches to pass each other, or for cattle to cross one side of the bridge, and humans to cross the other side. Being the only bridge to cross the Brazos at the time, and the primary river crossing for the north-south travel through Texas (including cattle drives on the Chisholm Trail), the cost of building the bridge, which was estimated to be $141,000, was quickly paid back. Tolls were 5 cents per head of cattle that crossed, along with a charge for pedestrian traffic. In 1889, the bridge was sold to McLennan County for $75,000, which removed all tolls. In 1913-1914, major reconstruction occurred on the bridge, replacing the older steel with higher gauge, and trusses were added to accommodate the span to carry heavier weights. This doubled as a new pedestrian walkway. By 1971, the bridge had seen over 100 years of traffic. What started out as a cattle bridge had become a vehicular bridge, and the state historical committee decided that it was time to be retired, with larger and arguably safer bridges being built since the inception of the Waco Suspension Bridge. The bridge, by all accounts, helped to transform Waco from a small frontier town to a major commercial center. Today, the bridge is open to foot traffic only. Beginning in October 2020, the bridge was closed as part of a $12.4 million rehabilitation project that involved replacing the suspension cables that had been installed in 1914, reinforcing the anchors, and replacing the decking. Temporary piers were placed in the river to support the deck while the cables were removed. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, and was designated as a Texas Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1971. See also List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Texas List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas National Register of Historic Places listings in McLennan County, Texas References External links Historic Bridge Foundation, featuring many photographs Bridges completed in 1869 Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Buildings and structures in Waco, Texas Former road bridges in the United States Historic American Engineering Record in