McPhaul Suspension Bridge
National Register of Historic Places

McPhaul Suspension Bridge

Dome, Yuma County, Arizona
Listed
August 12, 1981
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000140

About this property

The McPhaul Suspension Bridge, sometimes known as Yuma, Arizona's Bridge to Nowhere, 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 (4.9 m) 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 feet (2.7 m) lanes). A dam and replacement bridge were built and the river was rerouted. 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 (146 mm) 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.

Location

Dome, Yuma County, Arizona
32.75969, -114.42183

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCEENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
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

Ocean To Ocean Bridge
Industrial
11.5 mi
Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites
Colonial
11.5 mi
Southern Pacific Railroad Depot
Industrial
11.5 mi
Blaisdell Slow Sand Filter Washing Machine
Industrial
11.6 mi
Hotel del Ming
Industrial
11.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Spanish Punitive Expedition – Yuma Crossing 1782
1782Colonial
12 mi
Battle of Fort Yuma — Quechan Siege (1851)
1850Indian Wars
12 mi

Questions about this property

When was McPhaul Suspension Bridge listed on the National Register?

McPhaul Suspension Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 12, 1981.

What type of historic resource is McPhaul Suspension Bridge?

McPhaul Suspension Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for McPhaul Suspension Bridge?

The period of significance for McPhaul Suspension Bridge is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1929.

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