Canyon Diablo Bridge, Historic bridge in Winona, Arizona
Canyon Diablo Bridge is an abandoned concrete Luten arch bridge with a 128 ft (39 m) span and a cantilevered roadway, crossing Canyon Diablo about 30 mi (48 km) east of Flagstaff. Its upstream parapet is solid to shield the road from floodwater, while the downstream parapet is pierced with slots. The ghost town of Two Guns lies near its east end.
Lamar Cobb, Arizona's state engineer, surveyed the Two Guns crossing in 1914, and plans for a 128 ft Luten arch bridge were bought from the Topeka Bridge & Iron Co. for $500. Thomas Haddock of Williams won the contract at $9,000 and built it with state-supplied concrete and steel that winter. It opened on March 17, 1915, as part of the National Old Trails Road, becoming Route 66 in 1926 and serving until a new bridge went up just north in 1938.
The bridge carried the National Old Trails Road, which became U.S. Route 66 in 1926. Near its east end stood Two Guns, a tourist stop that prospered on Route 66 traffic until the highway was rerouted.
The bridge is located along the former Route 66 corridor and is accessible from Interstate 40. The site offers views of the canyon and surrounding landscape from the roadway.
The structure features special flood control elements with a solid wall on the upstream side and a slotted wall on the downstream side. This design helped the bridge withstand heavy rains and water surges.
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