Royal Gorge Bridge
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| Royal Gorge Bridge | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
 Royal Gorge in 1987
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| Location: | crosses the Arkansas River |
| Nearest city: | Cañon City |
| Built/Founded: | 1929 |
| Architectural style(s): | Suspension bridge |
The Royal Gorge Bridge is a tourist attraction near Cañon City, Colorado, within a 360 acre (1.5 km²) theme park. The bridge deck hangs 1,053 feet (321 m) above the Arkansas River, and the bridge is billed as the highest suspension bridge in the world. The Royal Gorge Route Railroad runs under the bridge along the base of Royal Gorge. The bridge is 1260 feet (384 m) long and 18 feet (5 m) wide, with a wooden walkway with 1292 planks. The bridge is suspended from towers that are 150 feet (46 m) high.
The bridge was constructed in six months, between June 5, 1929 and late November 1929, as a toll bridge, at a cost of $350,000. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The bridge was not constructed for transportation purposes; instead, it was built with the intent that it serve as a tourist attraction, and has continued to be one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Colorado since its construction.
The cable-stayed Viaduc de Millau, completed in December 2004, is the tallest bridge in the world, at 1,118 feet (341 m), but its road/vehicle deck is only 885 ft (270 m) above the River Tarn. The Royal Gorge Bridge is still the highest suspension bridge in the world, as well as the bridge with the highest deck-to-surface clearance.
The height of the bridge makes it an attractive spot for suicide by jumping; however, park and security personnel constantly patrol the bridge in order to prevent such suicides.
In October 2003 while performing a proximity demonstration, wingsuiter Dwain Weston was killed attempting to fly over the bridge. Weston was wearing a wingsuit, a skydiving suit with fabric extended below the arms to the body and between the legs to catch air allowing for horizontal travel when skydiving. Weston was to go over the bridge while fellow skydiver Jeb Corliss was to go under it. Miscalculating his distance from the bridge, Weston struck a railing while traveling an estimated 160 km/h, killing him instantly and dismembering extremities. Portions of the video documenting the stunt are available on the internet, along with commentary of Corliss regarding his witnessing the accident. Weston was an experienced skydiver and BASE jumper with over 1200 jumps.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Royal Gorge Bridge and Park
- Photos of Royal Gorge Bridge
- Royal Gorge Bridge in the Structurae database
- Royal Gorge Bridge is at coordinates 38°27′42″N 105°19′30″W / 38.46167°N 105.325°WCoordinates: 38°27′42″N 105°19′30″W / 38.46167°N 105.325°W
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