Suspension Bridges Crossing Colorado River

This is a list of all 16 bridges from the suspension bridge inventory crossing Colorado River. Please note that different rivers with the same name will be grouped together. For example, selecting 'Bear Creek' shows bridges across several different Bear Creeks. Also, similarly named rivers are grouped separately. For example, 'River Dee' (UK) bridges are grouped separately from 'Dee River' (Australia) bridges. Wherever you see a Bridgemeister ID number click it to isolate the bridge on its own page.

Related Lists:

1916: Dewey

Moab vicinity, Utah, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:135 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1916
Name:Dewey
Location:Moab vicinity, Utah, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Coordinates:N 38.81187 W 109.30333
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Derelict, since April, 2008 (last checked: 2008)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 151.2 meters (496 feet) estimated

Notes:

  • Restored as footbridge, 2000.
  • Deck destroyed by fire April 6, 2008. News reports stated a nearby brush fire (started by a young boy playing with matches) ignited the bridge.

External Links:

Photo by Dick and Alice Whalen Photo by Patrick S. O'Donnell

1920: Kaibab Trail

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:2186 (added 2007-01-15)
Year Completed:1920
Name:Kaibab Trail
Location:Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Principals:George C. Goodwin
References:AAJ
Use:Footbridge
Status:Replaced, 1928
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

External Links:


1928: Kaibab Trail

Bright Angel Campground vicinity, Arizona, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:155 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1928
Name:Kaibab Trail
Also Known As:Black, South Kaibab
Location:Bright Angel Campground vicinity, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
At or Near Feature:Grand Canyon National Park
Coordinates:N 36.10076 W 112.08918
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Ward P. Webber, John H. Lawrence
Use:Footbridge
Status:In use (last checked: 2007)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 126.8 meters (416 feet) estimated
Deck width:5 feet

Notes:

External Links:

Photo by Andrew Holbrook Photo by Patrick S. O'Donnell Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

1931: Buchanan Dam

Buchanan Dam, Texas, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:2514 (added 2009-12-30)
Year Completed:1931
Name:Buchanan Dam
Location:Buchanan Dam, Texas, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • Large one-lane suspension bridge built during the construction of Buchanan Dam.

1939: (suspension bridge)

Bend, Texas, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:1616 (added 2005-02-26)
Year Completed:1939
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:Bend, Texas, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Principals:Austin Bridge Co.
References:AUB
Use:Vehicular
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:3
Main Span:1
Side Spans:2

Notes:

  • Similar to 1939 Regency - Regency, Texas, USA. The Bend bridge is pictured in AUB. At first, I thought it was the nearby Regency bridge, but upon closer inspection, the Bend bridge had suspended approach spans. Regency did not. Otherwise, they are very similar in appearance, both having been built in the same year by the same company.

1939: Regency

Regency, Texas, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:195 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1939
Name:Regency
Location:Regency, Texas, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Coordinates:N 31.41167 W 98.84667
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Austin Bridge Co.
References:AUB
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:In use (last checked: 2008)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 103.6 meters (340 feet)

Notes:

External Links:

Photo courtesy of Larry Calder Photo by Casey Hibler III

1957: Glen Canyon

Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:1191 (added 2004-01-25)
Year Completed:1957
Name:Glen Canyon
Location:Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Principals:Kiewit-Judson Pacific Murphy Co.
Use:Footbridge
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 390.1 meters (1,280 feet)

Notes:

  • Very long, very high footbridge spanning the canyon. Originally built for bridge workers building the Glen Canyon Bridge (the large deck arch next to the dam). Survived at least until 1959.
  • From a Roebling ad in the July 1958 issue of Civil Engineering: "The bridge was completed in sixty days and features a steel mesh deck, to reduce wind resistance. Construction was started by lowering two 5/8 in. cables to the bottom of the west side of the gorge, transporting them across the river by boat and raising them on the east side by block and tackle. The six main suspension cables are 1 3/4 in. diameter prestretched galvanized bridge strands. From them are hung sixty-four 5/8 in. suspenders, attached to 7 ft-wide floor beams. The wire mesh floor is laid on eight 1 in. diameter deck cables. These in turn are supported every twenty feet by the floor beams. For safety, four handrail cables are attached to the suspenders. To add stability in strong winds, two 1 3/4 in. bridge strand wind brace cables run below the deck on either side for its length."

External Links:

Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

(pipeline bridge)

Blythe, California and Ehrenberg, Arizona, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:2522 (added 2010-01-02)
Name:(pipeline bridge)
Location:Blythe, California and Ehrenberg, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Coordinates:N 33.60182 W 114.53324
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Pipeline
Status:Extant (last checked: 2010)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1

(pipeline bridge)

Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:2225 (added 2007-03-18)
Name:(pipeline bridge)
Location:Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Coordinates:N 39.55085 W 107.31878
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Pipeline
Status:Extant (last checked: 2006)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 61 meters (200 feet) estimated

Notes:

  • Span length of approximately 200 feet is for the suspended pipeline. Patrick O'Donnell estimates the anchorage-to-anchorage distance is 450 feet.
Photo by Patrick S. O'Donnell

(pipeline bridge)

Palisade vicinity, Colorado, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:2240 (added 2007-03-28)
Name:(pipeline bridge)
Location:Palisade vicinity, Colorado, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Coordinates:N 39.12223 W 108.32207
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Pipeline
Status:Extant (last checked: 2006)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)

(pipeline bridge)

Topock, Arizona and Needles vicinity, California, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:1507 (added 2004-10-09)
Name:(pipeline bridge)
Location:Topock, Arizona and Needles vicinity, California, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Coordinates:N 34.71531 W 114.48255
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Pipeline
Status:Extant (last checked: 2004)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

External Links:


(pipeline bridge)

Topock, Arizona and Needles vicinity, California, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:1508 (added 2004-10-09)
Name:(pipeline bridge)
Location:Topock, Arizona and Needles vicinity, California, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Coordinates:N 34.71587 W 114.48617
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Pipeline
Status:Extant (last checked: 2004)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

External Links:


(suspension bridge)

Palisade, Colorado, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:296 (added before 2003)
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:Palisade, Colorado, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire
Suspended Spans:1

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg

Hamilton Dam

Blufton, Texas, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:4949 (added 2020-08-08)
Name:Hamilton Dam
Location:Blufton, Texas, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire (steel)

Notes:

  • Completed 1930s during construction of the Hamilton (now Buchanan) Dam. Appears to have been a large one-lane bridge. Likely removed during 1930s.

James Craig Bair Sheep Ranch

Dotsero vicinity, Colorado, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:822 (added 2003-05-31)
Name:James Craig Bair Sheep Ranch
Location:Dotsero vicinity, Colorado, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
At or Near Feature:Glenwood Canyon vicinity
Coordinates:N 39.64485 W 107.07813
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Footbridge and Stock
Status:Extant (last checked: 2020)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:2
Main Span:1 x 64 meters (210 feet) estimated
Side Span:1 x 16.5 meters (54 feet) estimated

Photo by Patrick S. O'Donnell Photo by David Denenberg

Silver

Bright Angel Campground vicinity, Arizona, USA - Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:351 (added before 2003)
Name:Silver
Location:Bright Angel Campground vicinity, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Colorado River
At or Near Feature:Grand Canyon National Park
Coordinates:N 36.09745 W 112.09550
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Footbridge and Pipeline
Status:In use (last checked: 2020)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 149.4 meters (490 feet)

Notes:

Photo by Andrew Holbrook Photo by Patrick S. O'Donnell


Do you have any information or photos for these bridges that you would like to share? Please email david.denenberg@bridgemeister.com.


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