Difference between revisions of "Royal Gorge Bridge"

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Revision as of 19:38, 20 November 2009

Royal Gorge Bridge
Cañon City, Colorado, United States
955 feet high / 291 meters high
938 foot span / 286 meter span
1929
World's Highest Bridge 1929-2001

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No other bridge in history has been more associated with being the “World’s Highest” than the Royal Gorge bridge, located in the U.S. state of Colorado. Constructed in 1929, the bridge was the highest suspension bridge in the world for nearly 75 years with a roadway 955 feet (291 mtrs) above the Arkansas river. In 2001,China opened an even higher gorge crossing in the form of the Liuguanghe bridge, a concrete beam span with a deck 974 feet (297 mtrs) high. Then in 2003, China opened the 1,201 foot high (366 mtr) Beipanjiang River bridge, the first of what would eventually be five Chinese suspension bridges of greater height.

While the Royal Gorge bridge no longer holds any world records, this Rocky Mountain wonder of wire and wood is still the highest bridge in the United States and one of the most popular destinations in the state of Colorado with more than 500,000 visitors a year. Since its construction, the Royal Gorge has become much more than a bridge but an entire park that includes more than a dozen attractions that can keep you busy for an entire day.

The bridge itself was the brainchild of a Texan named Lon P. Piper who envisioned a crossing for the sole purpose of giving visitors a view of the gorge. With a total length of 1,258 feet (384 mtrs), the bridge required the stringing of two cables, each with 2,100 wire strands as well as the building of two large towers, 150 feet (46 mtrs) and 110 feet (34 mtrs) in height. The construction was undertaken by George F. Cole, a bridge contractor who would also be responsible for the inclined funicular railway built just a year later and opened in 1931. With an angle of 45 degrees and a drop of 1,550 feet (473 mtrs), it is the longest and steepest funicular in North America. The success of these two attractions eventually led to the 1969 installation of an aerial tram which glides 1,000 feet (305 mtrs) above the river. The 35 passenger cabins offer a spectacular view of the bridge on a 2,200 foot (670 mtr) long trip across the canyon. Other attractions that have been added over the years include a miniature railroad, a carousel, a zoo, burro and wagon rides, a theater, a concert pavilion, a gift shop and visitors center and three eating places as well as the Royal Rush Skycoaster, a thrilling swing ride that threatens to throw you off into the gorge. If that isn’t enough, an event called the “Go Fast! Games” is held the last weekend in September where BASE jumpers from around the world converge on the bridge to leap off into the void of the Arkansas River canyon. A bungee jumping platform is also set up on the side of the bridge. For more information check out their web site at www.gofasteventcompany.com.

Despite all the changes that have occurred over the years, the main attraction at Royal Gorge will always be the bridge. Designed to handle automobiles, you can still drive across the main span of 938 feet (286 mtrs) even though it is primarily used by pedestrians. With more than a 1,000 planks of Oregon fir, the thin deck is unusual for having no vertical stiffening truss, causing some noticeable shakes and jiggles from any vehicle that goes across. All of this makes a stroll over the deck a lot more fun and exhilarating than your average bridge walk. In 1983, two wind cables were added underneath the bridge to reduce unwanted oscillations and movement. The side spans have unequal lengths of 190 feet (58 mtrs) and 130 feet (40 mtrs) and are also where the individual strands of each cable terminate. These exposed anchorages were also rebuilt in 1983.

It may be hard to believe that the Royal Gorge bridge was surpassed in height by 10 other bridges in 10 years but China’s quick and astronomical expansion of their highway system forever changed the concept of what a high bridge could be. But a closer look at the numbers reveals that the total height of a bridge does not determine how spectacular it will look as much as the steepness of the drop-off beneath the bridge. In this regard the Colorado span still holds its own with the north side cliff falling vertically for some 700 feet (244 mtrs). No other high bridge in the world has such an abyss-like drop outside of the west end of the Beipanjiang 2003 road bridge in China which is even higher with a nearly vertical drop of approximately 800 feet (244 mtrs) of its 1,200 foot (366 mtr) total height.

No history of Royal Gorge would be complete without mentioning the railroad that has traveled through the bottom of the canyon in one form or another since 1879. It all started when the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad built a narrow gauge railroad along the Arkansas river to connect with the big mining town of Leadville using survey stakes that were left by the Denver & Rio Grande. Since the D & RG was in a court battle for control of the AT & SF, it all came to a head in what became known as the “Royal Gorge War”. Eventually the case was settled in 1880 with the completed right of way being returned to the D & RG. The railroad continued to operate passenger trains until 1984 when the Denver & Rio Grande Western was bought by the Southern Pacific which later merged into Union Pacific. It would be 15 years before the public would travel through the canyon again.

Although the line was still used for freight traffic, it was not until 1999 before passenger service returned with the formation of the Canyon City & Royal Gorge railroad. Today you can take a leisurely trip through the gorge on a special 2 hour train ride with views of the spectacular scenery from an open car or from the inside of a traditional coach, restored to look much the same as when it ran through the gorge a century ago.

Of the many difficulties faced in building the rail line along the Arkansas river, the most significant engineering achievement was the Hanging bridge, located at the bottom of the gorge almost 1,000 feet (305 mtrs) under the Royal Gorge suspension bridge. To cross a gap in the canyon less than 50 feet (15 mtrs) wide, the supports of the bridge were wedged between the rock walled sides of the river like a giant A-frame. Hanging from the apex are 2 sets of cables that support a 3 girder span of about 300 feet (92 mtrs). The bridge has been rebuilt and modified since it was first constructed and is now supported on piers underneath the deck even though it still retains the original overhead supports. It was designed by C. Shaler Smith, one of the most famous bridge engineers of his time whose most famous work was the first cantilever railroad bridge in the world - built over the Kentucky river in 1877. The Hanging bridge became a popular stopping off point for passenger trains including one famous visit by president Theodore Roosevelt in 1905.

For those who are interested in a much more in-depth history of the railroad, the men who built it, the “Royal Gorge War”, the suspension bridge, the Hanging bridge and the town of Canon City, I highly recommend the book Rails thru the Gorge A mile by mile guide for the Royal Gorge Route by Doris B. Osterwald. The official bridge and park web site can be reached at http://www.royalgorgebridge.com/.

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Royal Gorge Bridge Elevation


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Royal Gorge Postcard.


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Image by Eric Sakowski / HighestBridges.com


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Royal Gorge Bridge Photo by http://www.ChrisBazil.com


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BASE jumper Jack Cravatt leaps into the void. Royal Gorge Bridge Photo by http://www.ChrisBazil.com


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