Yuma in Yuma County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Ocean-to-Ocean Highway Bridge
Constructed - 1915 & Rededicated - 2002
Government engineers designed the bridge in Washington without knowledge of the site. Because the engineers were unfamiliar with the unpredictable Colorado River, problems arose early in the construction. While beautiful in design, the structure required falsework across the river for support during construction. Sudden, violent flooding was common on the river at the time and washed out the falsework twice. The contractor finally erected the truss on the south side of the river and floated it into position on barges.
In 1979, the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was an important link in the Transcontinental Highway and is an early and rare example of its structural type in Arizona.
Erected 2002 by Arizona Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, City of Yuma, Yuma County, Quechan Indian Tribe, Arizona State Parks, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Cannon & Associates, Inc. Ashton Construction Company.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical year for this entry is 1913.
Location. 32° 43.667′ N, 114° 36.923′ W. Marker is in Yuma, Arizona, in Yuma County. Marker is on Penitentiary Avenue, half a mile north of East 1st Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is on the bridge approach just beyond the red stop lights. Best way to reach it is to park in the Yuma Crossing Park, immediately west and walk. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Yuma AZ 85364, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. "Ocean to Ocean" Highway Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Site of Old Ferry Landing (within shouting distance of this marker); View of the Prison from Across the River (within shouting distance of this marker); "Indian Hill" (within shouting distance of this marker); The All-important Colorado River Crossing (within shouting distance of this marker); Drinking Water Life in the Desert (within shouting distance of this marker); Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (within shouting distance of this marker); Crossing Into History (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yuma.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 3, 2011, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. This page has been viewed 2,337 times since then and 207 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 3, 2011, by Chris English of Phoenix, Arizona. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.