Port Arthur’s historic Rainbow Bridge – often described as one of the scariest bridges in Texas for its height and steep incline – has reopened after a being closed down for maintenance in 2025, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
The agency took to social media to announce the April 11 reopening of the bridge that crosses the Neches River to connect Jefferson and Orange counties. It had been closed for over a year and underwent railing and structural steel repairs, according to the Beaumont Enterprise. During the closure, traffic was diverted to the Veterans Memorial Bridge, TxDOT officials said.
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According to the Visit Port Arthur Texas webpage, the Rainbow Bridge is one of the tallest along the Gulf Coast, with a height of of a 20-story building – just enough for the tallest naval ship to pass through – and clears the Neches river by 177 feet. Construction of the bridge was completed in 1938.
Its height and steepness is what has caused many to dub it one of the scariest bridges in Texas.
“This is exactly the stuff of my childhood nightmares,” one Reddit user commented on the news of the bridge opening.
This article originally published at One of the scariest bridges in Texas has reopened in Port Arthur after renovations.