The Dewey Bridge
Built in 1916 the Dewey Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in Utah. Located approximately 30 miles northwest of Moab the 500 foot span at the time of it's construction was the second longest span west of the Mississippi river.
The bridge served as the only crossing of the Colorado River for route 128 until 1988 when a new bridge was built. In 2000 the Dewey Bridge was refurbished by the Grand County Historical Preservation Commission and became part of the Kokopelli bike trail. The bridge was designated a historic structure by the National Register of Historic Places in 1984
April 6th 2008 a brush fire ignited the aging timbers of the quickly burning the whitewashed deck. Within hours all that was left of the historical structure were the support towers and cables.
The construction on the Dewey Bridge was begun in November 1915 when two Grand County Commissioners, Birten Allred and G.A. Harris Spearheaded the effort to have a bridge built to serve the upper sector of the county. The Ferry which was being used at the time, was dangerous, unreliable and prone to vanish down river during periods of high water.
The contract for the bridge was awarded to the Midland Bridge Company of Kansas City, Missouri, and was completed in five months. The official dedication ceremony took place on April 15th, 1916.
The narrow wooden structure was supported by steel towers which held in place the titanium alloy cables that attached to the deck. The structure had a tendency to sway lightly in the river winds. The deck was a little higher in the middle so a car driving across would have to be careful as drivers from the other side could not see oncoming traffic. Many drivers found themselves partway across the bridge only to have to reverse back down the bridge to let another driver across.
The eight foot wide bridge continued to serve citizens for 72 years until it was closed to traffic. With no money to demolish the structure and so it remained abandoned until 1997. County administrator Earl Sires that year applied to the State trails and Parks for a $25,000 grant. The grant required the county raise matching funds bringing the total to $50,000. The county though did not have the funds in it's budget to match the grant. It was the kindness of James L. Stoltzfus that provide over twelve thousand dollars towards the county match. He challenged the Grand County Historical Preservation Commission to raise the remaining funds. By 1999 the funds had been raised an repairs on the bridge began.
By 2000 the refurbishment was done the bridge stood clean and white against the red rocks and the blue sky.
The tragedy that had its roots some seventy years earlier with the introduction of the tamarisk plant. An ornamental imported to the United States from the Mediterranean the tamarisk spread up the rivers cloaking the banks of the Colorado and other western rivers. An aggressive plant the tamarisk quickly overtook native species and became a dominate force on the river.
Around the Dewey Bridge tamarisk grew quite thickly. Periodically Boy Scout troups, church youth Groups, and other civic clubs would clear the brush away from the bridge. However for several years this had not been done.
Recent activities to tame the tamarisk population had resulted in numerous dead plants throughout the river area. Systematic removal had began along the river but the plants surrounding the Dewey Bridge had not been removed. When a fire at a near by campsite got out of control the river winds carried the flames up river towards the bridge. The dead foliage ignited quickly and drew the flame onto the bridge where the creosote covered wood ignited.
By the time crews arrived to fight the blaze the bridge was beyond saving. All that remained were the few charred boards and the metal support structure.
The tragedy of the Dewey Bridge's destruction deeply grieves the people of Moab and Grand County. The ghostly skeleton reminds us of how fragile the past can be and why we must endeavor to protect and preserve our history.
