A brief history of three Wickenburg bridges

Three versions of the bridge over the Hassayampa River in Wickenburg have carried traffic for over a century.

In 1914, the first bridge was built to carry the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway over the Hassayampa River. A Thanksgiving Day flood in 1919 caused severe damage; repairs totaling $26,000 (over $816,000 in 2024 dollars) were completed in 1920. The newer structure was a three-span Pratt Truss bridge designed by Arizona State Engineer Thomas Maddock.

Version number two was built in 1935, when the Arizona Highway Department replaced the original bridge with a wider, heavier structure. This bridge had six steel girders, spanning 80 feet each and supported by concrete abutments, making it one of Arizona's longest early vehicular structures. Over half a million pounds of superstructural steel and 894 cubic yards of concrete went into it. The new Wickenburg Bridge was formally dedicated on April 26, 1937, and carried west- and eastbound US 60 traffic for decades.

In 2009, version number three came into existence. Andrew Roth, ADOT's assistant Northwest District engineer, says the 1935 bridge was replaced because it no longer met current standards, including floodplain clearance. The side carrying eastbound US 60 traffic, he says, was raised two feet and now serves as the Town of Wickenburg's Festival Bridge (see the below photo). It's a pedestrian bridge: Visitors can stroll over the Hassayampa River on the Hassayampa River Walk. The westbound side was demolished to make room for the new bridge.

"[The 1935 bridge] was enhanced in 2015," Roth added. "Those enhancements included a decorative asphaltic concrete surface - including horseshoe imprints - and benches. There are also bike racks and decorative lights."

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