This Is The Tallest and Scariest Bridge In Texas

Texas has a lot of really cool bridges and while that is great for those who are fans of bridges, it's pretty terrible news for those who have gephyrophobia, or the fear of crossing bridges. For those who fear bridges, there are probably many in the state that can cause them to be very worried. There is one bridge though that has been called the scariest. And not just by those who hate crossing bridges, many of those who have no problems with other bridges get a little freaked out on this bridge.

One of the oldest bridges in Texas is also the tallest bridge in Texas, and according to some it's also the scariest bridge in Texas. It's found in Port Arthur, Texas Highway 73, and it's know as the Rainbow Bridge. The bridge links Port Neches and Bridge City.

Construction of the bridge began in 1936 and it was completed two years later according to onlyinyourstate.com.

The bridge stands at 230 feet tall and drivers have said the steep incline and the length you drive over water is what makes the bridge scary. Of course, years ago the bridge was even scarier when you consider that the bridge was one lane in each direction according to TexasCooppower.com.

The Rainbow Bridge is scary enough today, with two lanes for one-way traffic southbound, but it used to be much worse. It is 20 stories tall, and drivers had to put up with two narrow lanes carrying cars and loaded 18-wheelers in two directions. When it was completed in 1938, it was the second-tallest bridge in the U.S., second only to the Golden Gate Bridge. (The Veterans Memorial Bridge, built just yards away and completed in 1990, carries one-way traffic northbound.)

According to Texas Highways, the name Rainbow Bridge came about in 1957 after a naming contest by the North Port Arthur Lions Club. The Rainbow Bridge was added in 1994 to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Rainbow Bridge is scheduled to be closed later this year for an 18th-month maintenance project.