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The Rainbow Bridge is a Cantilever Bridge crossing the Neches River in Southeast Texas (29.9805 -93.8703) just upstream from Sabine Lake . It allows Texas State Highway 87 and Texas State Highway 73 to connect Port Arthur in Jefferson County on the southwest bank of the river with Bridge City in Orange County on the northeast bank. Construction on the bridge began in 1936 under the guidance of the Texas Highway Department . Due to concerns by the upstream city of Beaumont about the bridge posing a threat to ship navigation, the Rainbow Bridge was built with a 680 foot (210 m) main span. In addition, it had a vertical clearance of 176 feet (54 m), which was intended to allow the tallest ship in the US Navy , the USS ''Patoka'' , passage under the bridge. The bridge was completed on September 8 , 1938 . The nearby town of Prairie View took on the name "Bridge City" in response. Initially named the " Port Arthur - Orange Bridge", it received its current name in 1957. The USS ''Patoka'' never sailed the Neches River. The Rainbow Bridge remains the highest bridge in Texas {Link without Title} . VETERANS MEMORIAL BRIDGE In 1988 , construction began on the Veterans Memorial Bridge, the first Cable-stayed Bridge in Texas. This bridge runs parallel to the Rainbow Bridge, and was dedicated on September 8 , 1990 . With a vertical clearance of 143 feet (43.5 m), the bridge is somewhat shorter than its neighbor {Link without Title} . After the completion of the Veterans Memorial Bridge, the Rainbow Bridge was closed for renovations. On its re-opening in 1997, the Rainbow Bridge became one way, handling southbound traffic only. The Veterans Memorial Bridge serves northbound traffic {Link without Title} . SOURCES
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