Denisonians have been traveling on a viaduct in the middle of town across what once was the MK&T Car Shops since the town's early days. It hasn't been just one viaduct, it's been three and it looks like there is going to be another change.

First viaduct was a wooden structure that carried a street car track and other traffic across the Austin Avenue route. People living and working north of Morgan Street had no trouble coming and going, but those living south of Morgan had a problem. The Katy's Roundhouse, shops and switch yards stretched from Lamar Avenue on the East to Mirick Avenue on the West and that meant a detour for those in South Denison to get to town.

That problem was somewhat solved in the early 1880s, according to Jack Maguire in his book, "Katy's Baby." That's when the wooden viaduct was built. While it was nothing like today's concrete structures, it did carry the tracks of the "dummy line" and the first mule-powered streetcar as well as a place for pedestrians to walk. Horses and wagons also probably crossed over the "yards" to get to town too.

Then in 1915 plans were completed for a Rusk-Austin span that caused a lot of unhappiness among certain people. Then the third one came along to the delight of the citizens in 1954. Now the Texas Department of Transportation is planning to renovate that bridge as we now know it beginning in 2011 and ending 18 months later.

It's now being called the U.S. 69 viaduct, which it is in the eyes of TxDot even though residents know that it begins and ends on Austin Avenue. Most of it now is over a beautiful space of green grass since the car shops and even the Katy Railroad have pulled out.

Plans are to widen the viaduct by eight feet, as well as a central median of a full lane width and longer left turn lanes. The city has been asked for input on guardrail options, fencing and lighting and a public meeting will be held Nov. 17 to discuss the project.

One half of the viaduct will be worked on at a time leaving traffic traveling in one lane going both ways on one side of the present structure while work is being done on the other side.

That first wooden structure served people on the south side of town until 1915 when plans were completed for the Rusk-Austin span. City leaders, however, were divided on their acceptance of those plans. In fact opposition almost forced the city into a special election until the council took some fast action to prevent it, saying there were no funds for such an election.

The council issued a special letter to Denisonians outlining their reasons for the crooked viaduct. Opening words of the letter were "The council declines to change the location of the viaduct." Their minds were made up. Does that sound familiar?

The letter continued: "The objection to locating it on Austin Avenue is the large increased cost and the objection of the south side citizens. It would require 500 more feet of viaduct as it would be necessary to start in at Owings Street intersection in order to get necessary clearance over the tracks. It would require one single span of 340 feet over the roundhouse, which is 165 feet longer than the longest span in the new Red River Bridge and this span over the roundhouse would be very objectionable on account of the large volume of black smoke and gasses constantly coming from the smokestacks on the roundhouse. (Imagine what that would do environmentally today!)

"It would require two more spans, one of 250 feet crossing the tracks of the MK&T and one 100 feet over the H&TC east of the roundhouse.

"The city is not in a position where it would be justified in voting more bonds at the present time and if the location should be changed the building of the viaduct would have to be postponed indefinitely."

Probably it was the "postponed indefinitely" statement that finally was the mind changer. People living on the south side of town were anxious to have easier access to downtown even though the viaduct would have a break-neck crook in the span that later became a deathtrap to a lot of people. The rest of the citizens finally were convinced how important the viaduct was to the city.

A story I've heard around the newsroom for years was that one of the city councilmen had a business on Rusk Avenue at the north end of the viaduct and he was determined that it would bring travelers in front of his business. That business no longer exists and that councilman has long been deceased.

While the viaduct was completed as planned, Austin-Rusk avenues, the opposition's argument turned out to be true and the viaduct became a nightmare for travelers from the very beginning. Even pedestrians complained that they didn't feel safe walking across the crooked span. In those days fewer people had cars and there were a lot of walkers coming and going to work across the viaduct.

Many accidents took place on the dangerous twists and turns and many people lost their lives through the years that the crooked viaduct remained in tact.

Then in 1954 the old viaduct was showing its age with signs of decay. A new $800,000 shortcut to downtown was opened by way of the Austin Avenue viaduct that started on Austin Avenue and ended on Austin Avenue. This is the one we now travel on. When it was completed the four-lane route relieved congested Armstrong Avenue that was Highway 75 and took traffic to Main Street.

Opening of the new viaduct took the highway traffic off Main Street and the Highway 69 traffic followed the viaduct. Until that time the highway had been Armstrong to Main to Houston Avenue north. All that highway traffic plus the interurban down the center of Main Street got a little crowded at times. Once the interurban ceased to run, a little of the congestion went away.

That 1954 viaduct, still in use today, meant that people could drive from south Denison to downtown without crossing a single railroad track. Until then, there were crossings on Armstrong and Mirick avenues, the main routes to Denison after the old viaduct was condemned and torn down. Highway traffic frequently was backed up for blocks waiting for a train to pass.

Now we have about two years to get prepared for the new project to begin. It won't always be as convenient as zipping along on two lanes going each way, but the finished product will no doubt be something for which the citizens can be proud.

DONNA HUNT is a former editor of The Denison Herald. She lives in Denison and can be contacted at d.hunt_903@yahoo.com.