Gillespie Dam Highway Bridge, Steel truss bridge along Old US 80 Highway in Maricopa County, Arizona.
The Gillespie Dam Highway Bridge is a steel truss bridge crossing the Gila River with nine spans supported by concrete abutments anchored in bedrock. The structure stretches approximately 500 meters across the desert landscape along what was once a major highway.
This bridge was completed in 1927 and formed part of the original Route 80, a major transcontinental highway connecting the Pacific coast to the Atlantic. The route shifted away from this location in 1956 as transportation networks evolved.
The bridge stands as an engineering achievement from the early automotive era and has been recognized in the National Register of Historic Places since 1981. It represents how communities marked important transportation routes with enduring structures.
The bridge is accessible to visitors who want to explore this historical route, and an interpretive center on-site provides information about its history and engineering. Access is easiest from the nearby towns of Arlington or Gila Bend in either direction.
The bridge features a distinctive Camelback truss design that has proven its resilience during several major flooding events in the region. This design allowed the structure to withstand powerful surges of water without suffering significant damage.
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