McPhaul Suspension Bridge

The McPhaul Suspension Bridge, sometimes known as Yuma, Arizona's Bridge to Nowhere,^[2] is a suspension bridge that used to carry a section of Arizona Route 95 (AZ SR 95, which later became US 95). The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge, which was named for local Yuma resident Henry Harrison McPhaul, was built over the Gila River in 1929 and replaced in 1968 when it was deemed insufficient for modern transportation needs. At only 16 feet wide, the bridge was too narrow for a US numbered highway (in fact, even when built in 1929 it would have been too narrow, as the US highway system required two 9 foot lanes). A dam and replacement bridge were built and the river was rerouted.^[3]

McPhaul Suspension Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
McPhaul Suspension Bridge Location in Arizona Show map of Arizona McPhaul Suspension Bridge Location in United States Show map of the United States
Location	west of Dome, Arizona
Coordinates	32.759444°N 114.420556°W / 32.759444; -114.420556
Area	0.4 acres (0.16 ha)
Built	1929
Built by	Levy Construction Co.
Engineer	Ralph Modjeski (Consulting Engineer)
Architectural style	Warren-type pony truss
MPS	Vehicular Bridges in Arizona MPS
NRHP reference No.	81000140[1]
Added to NRHP	August 13, 1981

The bridge is 1,184 feet (361 m) long in total, with a deck width of 16 feet (4.9 m). Its main span is a 798 feet (243 m) Warren-type pony truss bridge suspended by cables from rocker type towers. The span is held by two steel cables 5.75 inches (0.146 m) in diameter and 1,300.7 feet (396.5 m) long. It has two approach spans, 57 feet (17 m) and 114 feet (35 m) long, and approach roadways 140 feet (43 m) and 75 feet (23 m) long.^[4]

See also

• List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Arizona

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
2. "Yuma's 'bridge to nowhere' | Department of Transportation". azdot.gov. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
3. "Bridge To Nowhere". Roadside America. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
4. Don Abbe (May 22, 1980). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: McPhaul Suspension Bridge / Dome Bridge / Gila River Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved September 4, 2018. With accompanying four photos from 1978

External links

Media related to McPhaul Suspension Bridge at Wikimedia Commons