Royal Gorge Bridge

Royal Gorge Bridge
Coordinates38°27′42″N 105°19′30″W / 38.46167°N 105.325°W / 38.46167; -105.325
CarriesPedestrians[1]
CrossesArkansas River[2]
OwnerCity of Cañon City, Colorado[3]
Characteristics
DesignSuspension
MaterialSteel with timber deck[2]
Total length1,260 ft (384 m)[4]
Width18 ft (5.5 m)[4]
Longest span880 ft (268 m)[4]
Load limit2,000,000 pounds (910 t)[4]
Clearance below955 ft (291 m)[4][5][note 1]
History
DesignerGeorge E. Cole[2]
Constructed byGeorge E. Cole Construction Co.[2]
Fabrication byColorado Fuel and Iron Corp.[6]
Construction startJune 5, 1929[4]
Construction endNovember 1929[4]
Construction cost$350,000[4] (equivalent to $4.9 million in 2023 dollars)
OpenedDecember 8, 1929[7]
Royal Gorge Bridge
NRHP reference No.83001303[8]
Added to NRHPSeptember 2, 1983
Location
Map

The Royal Gorge Bridge is a tourist attraction near Cañon City, Colorado within Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, a 360-acre (150 ha) amusement park located along the edge of the Royal Gorge around both ends of the bridge.[9] The bridge crosses the gorge 955 feet (291 m)[note 1] above the Arkansas River[5] and held the record of highest bridge in the world from 1929 until 2001 when it was surpassed by the Liuguanghe Bridge in China.[10] The Royal Gorge Bridge maintained the title of the world's highest suspension bridge until the Beipan River Guanxing Highway Bridge was completed in 2003, also in China.[10] The bridge remains the highest bridge in the United States and was among the ten highest bridges in the world until 2012.[10]

The main span of the bridge between the towers is 880 feet (268 m),[note 2] the total length is 1,260 feet (384 m), the width is 18 feet (5.5 m) and the towers are 150 feet (46 m) high. The steel base structure is covered with 1292 wooden planks.[4]

The bridge was built in six months between June and November 1929 at a cost of $350,000[4] (equivalent to $4.9 million in 2023 dollars). In 1931, the Incline Railway, or simply the Incline (also known as a funicular), was added beside the bridge to reach the bottom of the gorge.[7] In the 1950s, a miniature railroad was built by the edge of the gorge and an aerial tram was opened in 1969.[7] In the early 1980s, the bridge was renovated with new cable anchors, suspension rods and paint.[4] A Skycoaster attraction was added in 2003, with riders being swung out over the edge of the gorge.[11]

In June 2013, a wildfire destroyed most of the park's buildings and the aerial tram, and damaged the Incline. The bridge sustained only slight damage to the wooden deck and was otherwise undamaged, along with the Skycoaster.[9] The park was rebuilt and partially reopened in August 2014.[12] The park had a grand reopening in May 2015 with new gondolas and a new zip-line crossing the gorge on the east side of the bridge.[13][14]

  1. ^ "Parking & Transportation". Royal Gorge Bridge and Park.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Royal Gorge Bridge". structurae.net. Nicolas Janberg. 2016-02-05. Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2016-11-21. Completion: 1929 ... Material: Steel bridge ... Crosses: Arkansas River ... main span 268.2 m ... height above valley floor or water 320.95 m
  3. ^ "National Register Digital Assets". National Park Service. 1983-09-02. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Engineering Facts". Royal Gorge Bridge and Park. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d Rappold, R. Scott (March 3, 2010). "Arizona man topples Royal Gorge Bridge's lofty claim". The Gazette. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Freedom Communications. Archived from the original on 2016-11-20. Retrieved 2016-11-20. (Eric Sakowski) stood on (the bridge) in 2005 and pointed his range finder at the bottom ... to discover it was 955 feet to the river below, 98 feet less than had been claimed ... Royal Gorge officials measured the bridge themselves and discovered it is 969 feet to the water.
  6. ^ "Historic and notable bridges of the U.S." Bridgehunter.com. James Baughn. Archived from the original on 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  7. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference grudge was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010. (archive)
  9. ^ a b "Royal Gorge Fire, June 2013 - Still Standing Tall 2013-2014". 2014-01-01. Archived from the original on 2016-01-28. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  10. ^ a b c d "List of Highest International Bridges". HighestBridges.com. Eric Sakowski. 2016-11-15. Archived from the original on 2016-11-20. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference skycoaster was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference reopening1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference reopening2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference ziprider1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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