Paddock Viaduct was constructed in 1913-14 to improve transportation to the rapidly developing meat packing district of North Fort Worth. Designed by the St. Louis engineering firm of Brenneke and Fay and constructed by Hannan-Hickey Brothers Construction, also of St. Louis, this bridge was the first reinforced concrete arch bridge in the nation to use the self-supporting reinforcing steel. It is also one of only a few bridges in the world with its weight resting solely upon ball and socket joints. The viaduct is named for Captain B.B. Paddock, former Fort Worth mayor, newspaper editor, and member of the state legislature. The bridges’s original concrete railings were replaced in 1964-65 by Brown and Blakney, Inc. under the direction of engineer M.W. Amis, Jr. A major structural rehabilitation undertaken in 1987-89 was also carried out by Brown & Blakney, Inc. Paddock Viaduct was listed on the National Register in 1979 and received an Official Texas Historical Marker in 1980. It has also been designated as a Texas Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
