Maroon Creek Bridge, Steel trestle bridge in Aspen, Colorado.
Maroon Creek Bridge is a steel trestle bridge in Aspen, Colorado, stretching 651 feet in length and rising approximately 90 feet high. The structure features 20 plate girder spans supported by nine tapered steel piers.
The bridge components were manufactured in 1887 by the Niagara Iron Works in Buffalo, with the first train crossing occurring in February 1888. It was built as part of the Colorado Midland Railroad network to connect the mountain region with the valley below.
The bridge represents how Aspen transformed from a silver mining town into a modern destination, linking different eras of the region together. It shows how infrastructure shaped the community and opened new possibilities for its future.
The original structure now serves pedestrians, while a parallel modern bridge built in 2008 carries vehicle traffic on State Highway 82. You can walk across the historic structure or view it from the newer bridge alongside.
It is the only surviving bridge among five steel structures built by the Colorado Midland Railroad. The fact that only this one endures makes it a rare record of the engineering feats required for mountain railroad construction.
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