Colorado’s Historic Highway Bridges

Not all of Colorado’s highway bridges are plain steel and concrete.  Many road or highway bridges, both historic and more recent, are highly artistic or advanced works of architecture and engineering.  Many of Colorado’s historic bridges have been included on the National Register of Historic Places.  For a listing of these, as well as links to their nomination forms, see this webpage from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).  Click here for more information on CDOT’s Historic Bridge Program.

CDOT has produced several interesting videos and publications about Colorado’s most notable bridges, available from our library, including:

  • Colorado Statewide Historic Bridge Inventory (2011, CDOT)
  • Red Cliff Arch Bridge Rehabilitation Project (DVD; 2006, CDOT)
  • Three Bridges, Twelve Days:  US 6 Clear Creek Canyon Bridge Rehabilitation (DVD, 2005, CDOT)
  • Driving Tours of Historic Bridges in Fremont County and Near I-70, West of Denver, Colorado (2004, CDOT and State Historical Fund)
  • Spanning Generations:  The Historic Bridges of Colorado (2004, CDOT and State Historical Fund)
  • The Historic Castlewood Canyon Bridge (DVD, 2003, CDOT)
  • Glenwood Canyon:  Mastering Engineering and Environment in the Colorado Rockies (1996, CDOT)
  • Historic Bridges of Colorado (1986, Colorado Dept. of Highways)
The Red Cliff bridge, along the Top of the Rockies Scenic Byway, was constructed in 1939 and recently restored.  Photo courtesy CDOT.