Near Fort Morgan in Morgan County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Rainbow Arch Bridge
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, June 13, 2011
1. Rainbow Arch Bridge Marker
Inscription.
Rainbow Arch Bridge. . Spanning the South Platte River, the Rainbow Arch Bridge carried vehicular traffic from its completion in 1923 until its closure in 1988. Engineer James B. Marsh of Des Moines, Iowa, designed the structure in 1922. Denver bridge contractor Charles G. Sheely built it in 1922-23 for just over $69,000. With its eleven 90-foot concrete arches, the bridge extended over 1,100 feet. A year after it was finished, light standards were installed that linked the bridge visually with Fort Morgan's Main Street.
For the Rainbow Arch Bridge, Marsh used a design that he had patented in 1912. Marsh's invention was an ingenious blend of steel and concrete technologies, which combined the concrete arch form with a sophisticated steel reinforcing system. The reinforcing was so heavy and complex, in fact, that his bridges have been called steel structures with concrete veneers. Marsh built several small-scale and medium-scale rainbow arches throughout the Midwest in the 1910s. This bridge at Fort Morgan represented the first large-scale application of his distinctive design.
The bridge at Fort Morgan has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the only rainbow arch built in Colorado, and at its completion it was the longest rainbow arch in the world. It is today a nationally significant example of the important, but relatively uncommon, structural type. As it arches gracefully over the broad Platte River, the Rainbow Arch Bridge symbolizes the permanence of early highway construction in the state.
Spanning the South Platte River, the Rainbow Arch Bridge carried vehicular traffic from its completion in 1923 until its closure in 1988. Engineer James B. Marsh of Des Moines, Iowa, designed the structure in 1922. Denver bridge contractor Charles G. Sheely built it in 1922-23 for just over $69,000. With its eleven 90-foot concrete arches, the bridge extended over 1,100 feet. A year after it was finished, light standards were installed that linked the bridge visually with Fort Morgan's Main Street.
For the Rainbow Arch Bridge, Marsh used a design that he had patented in 1912. Marsh's invention was an ingenious blend of steel and concrete technologies, which combined the concrete arch form with a sophisticated steel reinforcing system. The reinforcing was so heavy and complex, in fact, that his bridges have been called steel structures with concrete veneers. Marsh built several small-scale and medium-scale rainbow arches throughout the Midwest in the 1910s. This bridge at Fort Morgan represented the first large-scale application of his distinctive design.
The bridge at Fort Morgan has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the only rainbow arch built in Colorado, and at its completion it was the longest rainbow arch in the world. It is today a nationally significant example of the important, but relatively uncommon,
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structural type. As it arches gracefully over the broad Platte River, the Rainbow Arch Bridge symbolizes the permanence of early highway construction in the state.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical year for this entry is 1923.
Location. 40° 16.044′ N, 103° 48.076′ W. Marker is near Fort Morgan, Colorado, in Morgan County. It is on State Highway 52 0.1 miles north of Interstate 76, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Morgan CO 80701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Eastern Plains. It is also in the American Mountain West, on the Great Plains, and specifically on the High Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Louisiana Purchase.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge in Kansas.
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, June 13, 2011
2. Rainbow Arch Bridge
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, June 13, 2011
3. Rainbow Arch Bridge
Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, June 13, 2011
4. Rainbow Arch Bridge
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,887 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 15, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.
