Royal Gorge Bridge - Construction and History

Construction and History

The bridge was constructed in six months, between June 5, 1929, and late November 1929, as a toll bridge, at a cost of $350,000. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The bridge was not constructed for transportation purposes; instead, it was built with the intent that it serve as a tourist attraction, and has continued to be one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Colorado since its construction. The road is designated as Fremont County Road 3A. The Royal Gorge Route Railroad runs under the bridge along the base of Royal Gorge.

Measuring from deck to the river below, the Royal Gorge Bridge held the record of highest bridge in the world from 1929 to 2003, with a height of 956 ft. In 2003 it was surpassed by the Beipanjiang River 2003 Bridge with its height of 1,201 ft; however, the Royal Gorge is still the highest bridge in the United States. The cable-stayed Viaduc de Millau, completed in December 2004, is currently the tallest bridge in the world, at 1,118 feet (341 m), measured from the ground to the top of the bridge piers. However, its deck is only 885 feet (270 m) above the River Tarn.

In 1980 the bridge hosted the television show That's Incredible! for a different kind of jumping. On the show a group of British bungee jumpers from the Oxford Dangerous Sports Club set, at the time, world records for the highest bungee jump. The record setting jump went 800 feet (240 m) into the 1,053-foot (321 m) canyon. In 1981 the bridge was the subject in a GM Super Bowl commercial where in which GM suspended several hundred one gallon gas cans from under the bridge to demonstrate the amount of gas their new car would save someone.

The bridge was closed to vehicle traffic from 1982-83 for significant renovations. During this time new cable anchors were installed. The original rusting cable ends were replaced by new multi-strand cables and then each of the 2,100 strands of existing suspension cable were spliced together with the new anchor cables. The bridge also got new floor timbers, wind cabling, and improvements to the bridge towers. The cost of the renovations were $2.8 million or about 140% of the original purchase price, accounting for inflation.

In October 2003, while performing a proximity demonstration, wingsuiter Dwain Weston was killed attempting to fly over the bridge. Weston was wearing a wingsuit, a skydiving suit with fabric extended below the arms to the body and between the legs to catch air allowing for horizontal travel when skydiving. Weston was to go over the bridge while fellow skydiver Jeb Corliss was to go under it. Miscalculating his distance from the bridge, Weston struck a railing while traveling an estimated 120 mph, killing him instantly and dismembering extremities. Cleanup from his impact took two full days, and many parts of Weston's body were never recovered.