Reclamation photo of the footbridge (1958) Photo courtesy of Mike Adams (www.mikesdamphotojournal.com)
On Tuesday morning, November 12, 1957, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced the completion of a suspension-type footbridge, spanning the Colorado River gorge at the Glen Canyon dam site.
The news spread quickly with follow-up stories about the footbridge appearing in most Utah newspapers. The Salt Lake Tribune ran the news of its completion on the top front page, above photos of President Kennedy during a recent interview. The article playfully warned it was no place for anyone with acrophobia, but did mention it offered an excellent view of the Colorado River – 700 feet straight down.
The Southern Utah News in Kanab, Utah offered more technical information about the footbridge and its construction, accompanied by a Reclamation photo showing the expanse of the bridge and its “bird’s eye” view of the Colorado River.
Built by the Kiewit-Judson Pacific Murphy Co. under contract to Merritt-Chapman and Scott, the bridge was erected in just 60 days. Using almost 1,300 feet of steel cable and mesh, the bridge extended 1,280 feet from tower to tower and was erected upstream from the dam site.
Designed as a walkway for project employees only, it provided ready and quick access to both sides of the gorge. It was the only span across the Colorado River for 300 miles between Navajo Bridge near Marble Canyon, Arizona, and Moab, Utah.
Construction began by lowering two 5/8 inch steel cables to the bottom of the west side of the gorge, transporting them across the river by boat and raising them on the east side by block and tackle. The six main suspension cables were 1 ¾ inch diameter pre-stretched galvanized bridge strands. From them were hung 64 5/8 in. suspenders, attached to 7 ft-wide floor beams. The wire mesh floor sections, chosen to cut down wind resistance, were laid on eight 1 inch diameter deck cables. These in turn were supported every twenty feet by the floor beams. To add stability in strong winds, two 1 ¾ inch bridge strand wind brace cables were run below the deck on either side for its entire length. At the time of its construction, the Glen Canyon suspension footbridge was the longest footbridge in the U.S.
Also unique to the construction of the footbridge were the fabricated 100-foot steel towers on either side of the gorge. These towers were mounted on rockers which cut down the stresses and strains of hanging a 1,200-foot bridge from the short towers.
The bridge was supported by two “deadmen,” which are huge blocks of concrete and structural steel sunk 15 feet into the sandstone and attached by cables to the bridge towers.
But just how safe was the footbridge? Despite its frail appearance and mild swaying caused by wind in the canyon, the bridge was quite safe. Designed for a minimum weight load of 50 pounds per square foot, it was calculated that 2,500 people with an average weight of 180 pounds each could stand on the bridge without danger of it collapsing. Photos exist of large tour groups of congressional visitors and civic groups interested to see the progress on the dam, standing in the middle of the bridge to catch the impressive view. Another shows an unidentified man driving a motor scooter across the span. Research for this story also uncovered the tale, true or not, of a couple of young guys, either on a dare or a bet, who drove a Volkswagen Beetle from one side to the other. Whether they were caught doing it is unknown, we couldn’t find photos to prove it.
Accounts differ as to exactly when the Glen Canyon suspension footbridge was decommissioned and removed. Some say it was closed by 1959. Others claim it survived into the early 60’s. Today, only traces of where the footbridge was anchored into the walls of the gorge remain, and unless you knew where to look, you might not believe the bridge existed at all.
