Glen Canyon Bridge

Before the dam could rise, crews needed a way across the gorge, and the Glen Canyon Bridge answered it. Completed in 1959 after two years of work, the steel arch stands 700 feet above the Colorado and was the highest of its kind in the country when finished. It carried the workers, concrete, and machinery that built the dam just upstream. Today it links Arizona and Utah on U.S. Highway 89, one of the few road crossings of the river for many miles.

What the plaque says

Reclamation: Managing Water in the West., Glen Canyon Bridge, Majestic Glen Canyon Bridge, 865 feet (264 meters) downriver from the dam, was the highest steel-arch bridge in the United States when completed. The roadway is 700 feet (213 meters) above the surface of the Colorado River., Construction began in early 1957 and was completed in 1959. The bridge provided a way for workers, equipment, and supplies to cross the canyon during construction of the dam and powerplant. It now serves as a link for U.S. Highway 89, connecting Arizona and Utah. Cableways, During construction of the dam and powerplant, cableways were the easiest way to move heavy equipment, concrete and generator parts to the bottom of the canyon. Huge woven cables carried the weight. Despite the size and seeming durability, the cables had to be replaced every eight months.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Antelope Canyon — 7.9 mi
  Tsé bighánílíní — where the water runs through the rock

More markers nearby

• Glen Canyon Dam — steps away
• Hydroelectric Power — steps away
• Dinosaur Tracks — steps away
• Colorado River Storage Project — 1.7 mi