Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge - Fort Worth, TX
N 32° 44.772 W 097° 20.984
14S E 654610 N 3624355
As of this posting, you'll find at least eighty love padlocks attached to the Phyllis J. Tilley Memorial Bridge, a steel arch bridge which carries foot traffic across the Trinity River along the Trinity Trails of Fort Worth.
Waymark Code: WM15BFY
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/30/2021
Views: 2
There is a memorial sign on each side of the river, with identical text on both sides of the sign. It reads:
PHYLLIS J.
TILLEY
MEMORIAL BRIDGE
"If we are to improve our city,
we must think big - initiate our own
changes and assume the leadership
that is our responsibility."
- Phyllis J. Tilley, Founder, Streams & Valleys
The Tilley Bridge honors Phyllis Tilley, the founder of Streams & Valleys, a local non-profit organization devoted to stewardship of the Trinity River. Streams & Valleys played a vital role in transforming the river from a muddy ditch into one of Fort Worth's most treasured assets. As a Junior League member and former president, Phyllis challenged her friends and colleagues to create an annual event celebrating the river. Together, the City of Fort Worth, the Junior League of Fort Worth, Streams & Valleys and the Tarrant Regional Water District founded Mayfest, one of Fort Worth's most treasured festivals.
Her efforts exemplify the qualities that have made Fort Worth successful: vision, collaboration and leadership.
Streams & Valleys Founding Members
Clay Berry, Jr. John O'Neill
Corky Friedman Polly Phillips
Preston Geren, Jr. Alann Sampson
Elise Greenman Warren Shipman
Joe Paul Jones Ruth Carter Stevenson
Commemorative marker a generous gift from Mayfest
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The bridge itself was constructed in 2012, and it has a span length of 163', reaching a total of 368'. The locks are scattered across each side, concentrated mostly towards the center of the bridge, over the river. Oddly, the locks I examined which had any kind of date referenced either 2020 or 2021: I suspect that someone comes along every so often and removes the locks, unless this just became a thing.