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Highway Bridges Surrounding Cisco [Column_Cisco Range]

highway-bridge_02.jpg: Nash Wash, Hwy and the Bridge in 1971 movie “Vanishing Point” still
highway-bridge_01.jpg: Cisco Wash, Hwy and the Bridge

The town of Cisco is guarded by washes from both directions, east, and west: Danish Wash lies on the east and Cisco Wash lies on the west.

After the designation of US Hwy 50, the conventional Midland Trail through Cisco was reconstructed in 1931[1]. The new bridges spanning the washes were constructed at the same time, therewith freed Cisco from isolation.

But, when a rezoning of Cisco to a heavy Industrial use was planned time after time since the 80s, the ages and the weight limits of the bridges on old US Hwy 50 & 6 were always one of the concerns[2]. Accordingly, it can be said that these bridges ironically have been contributed to the isolating of Cisco against the economic wave.

Here, I introduce those vintage highway bridges found near Cisco, one each from periods respectively:

All photos were taken on Sep. 10, 2017


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Cisco Wash Bridge was built in 1949 with concrete rigid frame, to replace the old bridge built when US Hwy 50 was constructed[3]. Its longest span is 82.0 ft. and width of the deck is 26.2 ft[4]. 2012 Google street view shows weight limit of 30 tons on road sign attached to it. But it was reduced to only 11 tons when I visited in 2017.


highway-bridge_06.jpg
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Danish Wash Trib 3 Bridge was built in 1931 with steel stringer. Its longest span is 25.9 ft. and width of the deck is 24.0 ft[5]. It has weight limit of 18 tons according to the road sign attached to it.


highway-bridge_09.jpg
highway-bridge_10.jpg
1930_conoco-map.jpg: 1930 Conoco road map

Thompson Wash Bridge on old Valley City Road was built in 1919 with steel stringer. Its longest span is 28.9 ft. and width of the deck is 16.1 ft[6]. The road sign attached to it says "LEGAL LOADS ONLY".

This bridge seems the oldest surviving highway bridge still in use in this region: the oldest seems the burnt Dewey Bridge built in 1916[7]. Valley City Road is the remnant of Midland Trail/US Hwy 50 between Thompson and the now evaporated Valley City, designated at least until 1933[8, 9]. Accordingly, this section of the road and the bridge tells us how the Midland Trail was in its heyday.

[1] Apr. 30, 1931 Times-Independent;
[2] Jul. 16, 2009 Times-Independent;
[3] Nov. 27, 1941 Times-Independent;
[4] Bridgehunter.com webpage for Cisco Wash Bridge;
[5] Bridgehunter.com webpage for Danish Wash Trib 3 Bridge;
[6] Bridgehunter.com webpage for Thompson Wash Bridge;
[7] Bridgehunter.com webpage for Dewey Bridge;
[8] Dec. 28, 1933 Times-Independent;
[9] Sanderson, Dale (2003) "Historic US Highway ends in and near Crescent Jct, UT" mapguy;

highway-bridges_map.jpg: map of bridges around Cisco


シスコの町は、その東西をWashと呼ばれる降雨時のみ流れのある川で挟まれている。1930年代初頭、旧国道にあたるUS Route 50が建設された際、それらの川には橋が架けられた。それまでの道路はTrailと称せられる低規格のものでしかなかったから、これらの橋によって、シスコの町は他とつながったといえる。

一方で、後年幾度となく計画されたシスコ再開発における懸念のひとつが、これら橋の耐久性・強度である。すなわち、これらの橋によって、この町は再開発の波から取り残されたともいえる。ここでは、それらの橋について、その建設年代毎に1基づつ、趣味的視点から紹介する。


Cisco Wash Bridgeは、1930年代初頭、旧国道にあたるUS Route 50が建設された際架けられた橋を、1949年に架け替えたものである。鉄筋コンクリート造で、最大スパン25m・幅員8m。R付きの親柱がチャーム・ポイントか。

Danish Wash Trib3 Bridgeは、1931年に、旧国道にあたるUS Route 50が建設された当時の橋である。鋼製桁・木製床板の混構造で、最大スパン7.9m・幅員7.3m。橋桁・橋台共々とても分かり易い造り。

Thompson Wash Bridgeは、1919年に、ThompsonおよびMoabを結ぶ、当時の主要ルートにあたるValley City Roadに建設された橋である。この辺りに遺る道路橋では一番古い。国道建設以前の様子を窺い知ることができると考え紹介した。鋼製桁・鉄筋コンクリート製床板の混構造で、最大スパン8.8m・幅員4.9m。ほとんど装飾のない簡素な橋桁と、割肌仕上げの天然石を積み上げた立派な橋台とのコントラストが面白い。

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