National Register of Historic Places

Million Dollar Bridge

Cordova, Valdez-Cordova County, Alaska
Listed
March 30, 2000
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
00000293

About this property

The Miles Glacier Bridge, also known as the Million Dollar Bridge, was built in the early 1900s across the Copper River 50 miles (80 km) from Cordova in what is now the U.S. state of Alaska. It is a multiple-span Pennsylvania truss bridge which completed a 196-mile (315 km) railroad line for the Copper River and Northwestern Railway, built by J. P. Morgan and the Guggenheim family to haul copper from the old mining town of Kennicott, now located within the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve, to the port of Cordova. It earned its nickname because of its $1.4 million cost, well recouped by the $200 million worth of copper ore shipped as a result of its construction. Because of erosion along the Copper River Highway, current access to the bridge is limited to jet boat travel up the Copper River or boat travel downriver from Chitina, and there is no access by road. The cost of repairs has prevented necessary maintenance, although the bridge remains an attraction for tourists.

Location

Cordova, Valdez-Cordova County, Alaska
60.67296, -144.74590

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONENGINEERING
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Chilkat Oil Company Refinery Site
Industrial
35 mi

Questions about this property

When was Million Dollar Bridge listed on the National Register?

Million Dollar Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 30, 2000.

What type of historic resource is Million Dollar Bridge?

Million Dollar Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Million Dollar Bridge?

The period of significance for Million Dollar Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Million Dollar Bridge?

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