Royal Gorge Bridge

Hanging 1,053 feet above Colorado’s wild Arkansas River, the Royal Gorge Bridge is the world's highest suspension bridge and a legendary feat of engineering renowned the world over. Built in 1929 for $350,000, the cost today would easily exceed $15 million. But for those who venture across it, whether walking or driving, the experience is priceless.

Engineering Facts

• Construction on the world's highest suspension bridge began June 5, 1929, and completed Nov. 1929
• Length: 1,270 feet (387 meters)
• Width: 18 feet (5 meters)
• Main Span: 880 feet (268 meters)
• Towers: 150 feet high (46 meters)
• 2,100 strands of No. 9 galvanized wire
• Weight of cables: 300 tons
• 1,000 tons of steel in the floor of Bridge
• Walkway: made of 1,270 planks of deck; about 250 are replaced annually
• Original cost to build: $350,000 – cost today about $15 million
• Bridge will support in excess of two million pounds
• Listed on the National Historic Register