'Swinging Bridge' a memorable Texas Big Country detour

Cheap thrills with no frills? The Regency Bridge is your destination.

Built in 1939 as a joint venture between Mills and San Saba counties, the 85 year-old suspension bridge is the last one left in the state open to vehicular traffic. But that doesn't mean it's any less exciting.

Chet Garner, host of Texas travel show "The Daytripper," guesstimated in a 2019 episode how the one-lane span might be at least 75 feet above the Colorado River — if not more.

"I don't have a tape measure. We'll just say 300," he quips.

It's about 100 yards from one side to the other, the rough wooden boards that make up the driving surface testify to the regular use seen by the bridge.

Warning signs put the bridge at a limit of 8,000 pounds for vehicles, and as you pass the sign, the mind automatically begins to wonder just how much does this car weigh?

The bridge was restored in 1999 and a private campground is located beside the entrance on the Mills County side. Regency Bridge is about 20 miles from Goldthwaite or just over 40 miles from Brady, and unlike the area around Abilene at this time of year, the countryside on the way to the span is still pleasantly green.

Undoubtedly the thrill in crossing the bridge isn't just its height over the Colorado River but also the motion of the span as you proceed.

Standing at one end, if someone else begins to cross on the other side you will feel the driving surface below your feet begin to bob up and down with the motion.

The effect is even more pronounced standing still as a vehicle crawls by. If you're an old salt, you'll feel your sea legs kicking in.

And the rest of us? Hang on for the ride.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: 'Swinging Bridge' a memorable Texas Big Country detour