Suspension Bridges of Arizona

This is a list of all 21 bridges from the suspension bridge inventory for Arizona in USA. Wherever you see a Bridgemeister ID number click it to isolate the bridge on its own page.

Related Lists:

1911: Cameron

Cameron, Arizona, USA - Little Colorado River
Bridgemeister ID:125 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1911
Name:Cameron
Location:Cameron, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Little Colorado River
Coordinates:35.875733 N 111.412567 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Midland Bridge Co., W.H. Code, John Charles
References:GBD
Use:Vehicular and Pipeline
Status:Closed (last checked: 2012)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 201.2 meters (660 feet)

Notes:

  • The bridge currently carries a pipeline, but the road deck is closed to all traffic.

External Links:

Postcard, collection of David Denenberg Photo by David McDonald Photo by Patrick S. O'Donnell Photo by David Denenberg Postcard, collection of Jochem Hollestelle

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:36.10076 N 112.08918 W
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

1929: McPhaul

Yuma, Arizona, USA - Gila River
Bridgemeister ID:161 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1929
Name:McPhaul
Also Known As:Dome, Gila River
Location:Yuma, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Gila River
Coordinates:32.75969 N 114.42158 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Levy Construction Company
References:AAJ, SJR, YS20041217
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:Closed (last checked: 2008)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 283.5 meters (930.1 feet)
Deck width:16 feet

Notes:

  • YS20041217: Renamed McPhaul Bridge in honor of Henry Harrison "Harry" McPhaul, "the only Yuma resident who ever became an Arizona Ranger." Bypassed, 1968. 150 feet of deck damaged by fire, 1990.

External Links:

Photo by Wynne Johnson Photo by Don Sayenga

1943: Sheep

Sheep Crossing (Cave Creek vicinity), Arizona, USA - Verde River
Bridgemeister ID:201 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1943
Name:Sheep
Also Known As:Red Point Sheep, Verde River Sheep
Location:Sheep Crossing (Cave Creek vicinity), Arizona, USA
Crossing:Verde River
Coordinates:34.077674 N 111.707743 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Principals:Flagstaff Sheep Co., Cyril O. Gilliam, Frank Auza, George W. Smith.
References:HAERAZ10
Use:Footbridge and Stock
Status:Replaced, 1988
Main Cables:Wire
Main Span:1 x 145.1 meters (476 feet)
Deck width:3 feet

Notes:

  • From a sign at the site: "The Old Verde River Sheep Bridge. The original Verde River Sheep Bridge, also known as the Red Point Sheep Bridge, was constructed at this location in 1943 by Flagstaff Sheep Company, which had been grazing sheep in the area under a Forest Service permit since 1926....

    "Erected with hand tools and a few mules during World War II, the bridge was constructed largely with salvaged materials. Overall length of the structure from cable anchorage to cable anchorage was 691 feet, and the distance between the towers was 568 feet. The walkway was 476 feet long and three feet wide. The towers originally were constructed with wood, as was the walkway. Soon after the bridge was completed, the wooden towers were reinforced with concrete buttresses. Each main suspension cable consisted of a pair of... lock-coil, spiral strands, which were obtained from an abandoned tramway that carted copper ore.... Only the towers of the old bridge remain.

    "Although several other bridges of this type previously had been built in Arizona, Verde River Sheep Bridge was the last of its kind in the Southwest when it was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. In 1988, weakened by years of service and floods, the bridge was disassembled. In 1989 the bridge found here today was erected. Reminiscent of the original structure, the new bridge recalls the ingenuity of the pioneer sheepmen and a way of ranching that has virtually disappeared from the Arizona scene."
  • Many remnants from this bridge are still visible at the site.
  • Replaced by 1989 Sheep - Sheep Crossing (Cave Creek vicinity), Arizona, USA.
Photo by Norm Johnson Photo by Patrick S. O'Donnell

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

1989: Sheep

Sheep Crossing (Cave Creek vicinity), Arizona, USA - Verde River
Bridgemeister ID:235 (added before 2003)
Year Completed:1989
Name:Sheep
Location:Sheep Crossing (Cave Creek vicinity), Arizona, USA
Crossing:Verde River
Coordinates:34.077578 N 111.707317 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Footbridge and Stock
Status:In use (last checked: 2007)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 152.4 meters (500 feet) estimated

Notes:

Photo by Patrick S. O'Donnell

2004: Berber

Superior, Arizona, USA - Queen Creek
Bridgemeister ID:2443 (added 2008-04-23)
Year Completed:2004
Name:Berber
Location:Superior, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Queen Creek
At or Near Feature:Boyce Arboretum
Coordinates:33.277250 N 111.153117 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Footbridge
Status:In use (last checked: 2017)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1

Photo by Rodney Duke

(footbridge)

Sedona vicinity, Arizona, USA - Oak Creek
Bridgemeister ID:2286 (added 2007-04-23)
Name:(footbridge)
Location:Sedona vicinity, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Oak Creek
Coordinates:34.96007 N 111.75343 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Footbridge
Status:In use (last checked: 2012)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

  • Patrick S. O'Donnell provided a rough main span estimate of 120 feet.
Photo by Patrick S. O'Donnell Photo by David Denenberg

(footbridge)

Superior, Arizona, USA - Queen Creek
Bridgemeister ID:2611 (added 2014-04-15)
Name:(footbridge)
Location:Superior, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Queen Creek
Coordinates:33.290709 N 111.105738 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Footbridge
Status:In use (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1
Main Span:1 x 35.4 meters (116 feet) estimated

Photo by Doug Evans Photo,by Anonymous Contributor

(footbridge)

Superior, Arizona, USA - Queen Creek
Bridgemeister ID:2920 (added 2019-09-15)
Name:(footbridge)
Location:Superior, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Queen Creek
Coordinates:33.292711 N 111.098853 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Footbridge
Status:In use (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)

(pipeline bridge)

Benson, Arizona, USA - San Pedro River
Bridgemeister ID:2328 (added 2007-06-11)
Name:(pipeline bridge)
Location:Benson, Arizona, USA
Crossing:San Pedro River
Coordinates:31.975290 N 110.278883 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Pipeline
Status:Extant (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)

Notes:


(pipeline bridge)

Benson, Arizona, USA - San Pedro River
Bridgemeister ID:3303 (added 2019-11-28)
Name:(pipeline bridge)
Location:Benson, Arizona, USA
Crossing:San Pedro River
Coordinates:31.980649 N 110.281095 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Pipeline
Status:Extant (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)

Notes:


(pipeline bridge)

Benson, Arizona, USA - San Pedro River
Bridgemeister ID:3304 (added 2019-11-28)
Name:(pipeline bridge)
Location:Benson, Arizona, USA
Crossing:San Pedro River
Coordinates:31.974698 N 110.278894 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Pipeline
Status:Extant (last checked: 2019)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)

Notes:


(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:33.60182 N 114.53324 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Pipeline
Status:Extant (last checked: 2010)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1

(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:34.71531 N 114.48255 W
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:34.71587 N 114.48617 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Pipeline
Status:Extant (last checked: 2004)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)
Suspended Spans:1

Notes:

External Links:


(suspension bridge)

Kearny, Arizona, USA - Gila River
Bridgemeister ID:2934 (added 2019-09-16)
Name:(suspension bridge)
Location:Kearny, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Gila River
Coordinates:33.054216 N 110.919548 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Vehicular (one-lane)
Status:In use (last checked: 2017)
Main Cables:Wire (steel)

Photo by William Powell from Pow Wow Sales

Blue Point Sheep

Mesa vicinity, Arizona, USA - Salt River
Bridgemeister ID:5050 (added 2020-08-25)
Name:Blue Point Sheep
Location:Mesa vicinity, Arizona, USA
Crossing:Salt River
Coordinates:33.555430 N 111.587640 W
Maps:Acme, GeoHack, Google, OpenStreetMap
Use:Stock
Status:Removed
Main Cables:Wire

Notes:

  • Pictured on page 464 of the 1956 series of National Geographic magazines. Some remnants appear to be present (as of 2020).

Horseshoe Dam

Horseshoe Dam, Arizona, USA
Bridgemeister ID:1959 (added 2005-11-05)
Name:Horseshoe Dam
Location:Horseshoe Dam, Arizona, USA
References:HAERAZ10
Status:Removed, 1944
Suspended Spans:1

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:36.09745 N 112.09550 W
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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