US-160 Bridge over Piedra River washed out

(Satellite)

Nov 1, 2026, flood

Nov 9, 2026: Aimee Brennan Posted

CDOT Update Piedra River Bridge

🚨 PIEDRA RIVER BRIDGE COULD REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL JANUARY

We're getting a clearer picture of just how long it could take to restore US-160 between Durango and Pagosa Springs.

According to CDOT Regional Director Julie Constan, speaking Friday, November 6:

BEST CASE: CHRISTMAS 2026

WORST CASE: MID-JANUARY 2027

Flooding on November 1–2 caused the bridge's support piers to collapse, leaving the crossing impassable.

CDOT estimates it will take roughly 30 days to assemble a temporary bridge once the necessary components arrive.

A permanent replacement is planned for spring and summer 2027.

For communities relying on this critical stretch of highway, the disruption could last well into winter.

Source: CDOT Regional Director Julie Constan, as reported by the Durango Herald on November 6, 2026. 

Timelines are estimates and subject to change.

Photo: CDOT

Linda Juliana: The Army Corp wanted to put up a military bridge that would've only taken 2 weeks at most. But CDOT wanted to do it themselves. $$$$$ over the needs of people. Infuriating. 😡People need to be vocal about this ridiculous decision.

[Looking at the photo, it doesn't appear that the pier collapsed. Instead, the approach was washed out. That could be fixed with a bunch of #6 rock dumped into the hole. Doesn't one of the nearby mountains have a quarry?]

This is the upstream side of the bridge. So a lot of land was covered by water. That is, this area did have a floodplain.

Street View, Aug 2026

Accessed Nov 10, 2026: Everyone of the red dots has a popup indicating that the road is closed to Nov 12. So someone must have taught "CDOT Regional Director Julie Constan" how to do an emergency repair of a bridge befor the end of 2026.

Satellite

I've seen several posts of the above CDOT photo, but this is the first time I have seen a clue as to the location of the bridge.

World weather

🚨 FLOOD-DAMAGED BRIDGE FORCES MAJOR ROUTE CHANGES IN SOUTHWEST COLORADO

A damaged bridge over the Piedra River is disrupting travel along US 160, leaving motorists facing significant detours between Pagosa Springs and Durango.

Floodwaters washed out critical bridge supports, forcing a full closure as transportation crews prepare for major reconstruction. CDOT is urging drivers and commercial truck operators to plan ahead, with alternate routes adding substantial travel time.

The damage could affect regional travel for an extended period.

[The pier supports may have been damaged, but the photo shows that the pier was not washed out. It was the approach embankment that was washed out.]

1965 US-2 Bridge and 1922 4mw Hydroelectric Project on Moyie River at Moyie Springs, ID

Bridge: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Dam: (Satellite)

Falls: (Satellite)

Power Houses: (Satellite)

The Moyie River originates in Canada and flows into the Kootenay River, which flows into the Columbia River.

Street View, Sep 2025

Street View, Aug 2025

Paul De Wolf, Jun 2021

The continuous truss has a main span of 378' (115.2m). [HistoricBridges]

Donna Browne posted
This is the Moyie River Canyon Bridge in North Idaho. This is a steel truss cantilever bridge that is approximately 465 ft high. It opened in 1965 replacing and older bridge from 1923

Chad Marang commented on Danna's post

Scott n Paige, Sep 2025

Paul De Wolf, Jun 2021

Paul De Wolf, Jun 2021

Most photos showed water flowing over the dam. Here is one where all of the water is being diverted to the penstocks to the powerhouses.

Chad Graham, Jul 2023

The falls:

Erik Michaels, Jul 2022

I presume these are the powerhouses.

It has 4 units which generate just 4mw total. [HydroReform]

Satellite

Eileen Dam is upstream.

CrowMike, Oct 2026

Note that it is old enough to use a horizontal shaft because the thrust bearing had yet to take over.

Jesse Morre, Oct 2019

Idaho, p1

Idaho, p1

Idaho, p1

Idaho, p2

Idaho, p2

Idaho, p2

1932 Owyhee Dam on Owyhee River near Nyssa, OR, was highest dam when built

(HAER; Satellite)

HAER ORE,23-NYS.V,1--6
6. DAM AFTERBAY, WITH OWYHEE RIVER IN FOREGROUND, SHOWING OUTLET TUNNEL PORTAL (LEFT) AND POWERHOUSE AND ENTRANCE PORTAL TO DAM INTERIOR (RIGHT). NOTE RELEASE OF WATER FROM NEEDLE VALVE NUMBER 2 IN VALVEHOUSE ON DAM. VIEW TO SOUTHEAST. - Owyhee Dam, Across Owyhee River, Nyssa, Malheur County, OR

"Significance: Owyhee Dam is a 417-foat-high, concrete thick-arch dam (or arch/gravity dam). At its completion in 1932, Owyhee was the tallest dam in the world, a short-lived distinction because it was superceded in 1936 with the completion of 726-foot high Hoover Dam. Owyhee Dam has engineering significance as the proving ground for construction techniques developed by Bureau of Reclamation engineers for use at Hoover Dam. Tests conducted on the cooling and shrinking of mass concrete as it cured at Owyhee Dam helped assure Bureau engineers that their techniques would work at Hoover Dam. Historic apparatus for monitoring those tests is still in place on the interior of Owyhee Dam. Owyhee also has engineering significance for its ancillary features. The ring gate on the Owyhee Dam spillway was the first ever built. It was the first dam in which a freight elevator was installed. The needle valves in the outlet works for Owyhee Dam, which make it possible to regulate the discharge of water under very high pressure, represent a late stage in the evolution of such valves by the Bureau of Reclamation. Upon its completion, Owyhee Dam began storing water for use by farmers on the Owyhee Project, one of the most important in the development of irrigated agriculture in Oregon." [HAER_data]

HAER ORE,23-NYS.V,1--33
33. DETAIL OF STEEL RING AND MORNING GLORY SPILLWAY FOR OUTLET TUNNEL. VIEW TO SOUTHWEST.

Underestimated Arsenal posted [This post has a long description.]

Both US-20 and US-30 are close to this dam.

Satellite

1879,2004 Trail/57th Street and 1907 Pere Marquette Bridges over Kalamazoo River at New Richmond, MI

1879: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

1907: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

This PM route is still owned by CSX.

This is how I learned that the 57th Street Bridge is now a pedestrian bridge.

Street View, Jul 2025

Jennifer Woodman posted 13 photos and a video with the comment: "New Richmond Bridge Park has two bridges side by side over the Kalamazoo River. The swing bridge, also called the 57th Street Bridge, was built in 1879. It's a 422-foot [128.6m] Warren pony truss with four main spans, eight approach spans, and an 89-foot [27m] swing span. It's one of the oldest swing bridges in the country and the longest pony truss in Michigan. It's on the National Register of Historic Places and was restored in 2004. Next to it, a 1907 railroad bridge built by the American Bridge Company runs 435 feet [132.6m] as a metal deck girder with six main spans. It was also built to swing, and the extra pier and old swing gears under the bridge are the only evidence left. It is now owned and actively operated by CSX."

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Jennifer Younk, Jan 2023

The pier for the swing span is not in the middle of the span so this would be a bobtail bridge.

HistoricBridges_1907

Photo by Jim Thias via HistoricBridges_1907
"Photo of surviving swing span gears."

HistoricBridges_1879
"This nationally significant bridge is one of the top historic bridges in Michigan. Multi-span pony truss bridges are uncommon, and this four-span structure is the longest remaining pony truss in Michigan. Pin-connected Warren truss bridges like this bridge are very rare both in Michigan and nationwide. The 1879 construction date makes this one of the oldest truss bridges in Michigan. Additionally, pre-1880 metal bridges are extremely rare nationwide. Each surviving example should be considered to have a high level of historic significance due to their rarity and also the fact that bridges from this period show a lack of standardization and reveal the early development of metal bridge construction in the country. The early date of construction is evident in the unusual design of the built-up members and chords on the bridge, which are unlike the standards found in most truss bridges of the 1880s and 1890s. In particular, built-up diagonal members are an unusual design with a corrugated lacing (called ribbon lacing in some sources). In addition, the outriggers have star iron, a unique type of rolled structural iron that was common in the 1870s but not after."
Even though the Kalamazoo River is no longer navigable, the restoration included the mechanics for manually operating the swing span. "An opening ceremony took place in which the bridge was opened and closed."
[Nathan gives this bridge two 10 of 10 ratings, his highest.]

That is a massive swing pier.

2011 photo by C Hanchey via BridgeHunter_1979

Brookpark, Lorain, Hilliard and US-6+US-20 Detroit Bridges over Rocky River near Cleveland, OH

1933 Brookpark Viaduct: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite) 

1935 Lorain Viaduct: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

1925 Hilliard Boulevard: (Archived Bridge Hunter; no Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite) 

1910 Detroit Avenue: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite) 

1933,1989,2027 Brookpark Viaduct

Street View, May 2026

HistoricBridges_1933
"Historical photo of bridge, showing original railing."

HistoricBridges_1933
The 1,919' (585m) long bridge has a main span of 192' (58.5m).

Photo by Erie Shores Drone via BridgeHunter_1933

Brian Jules posted five photos with the comment: "1933 Brook Park viaduct bridge over the Rocky River valley. Emergency shut down of the bridge this [2026] summer for concrete repairs has led to increased traffic through the parkway."

Dennis DeBruler: What town and state?

Brian Jules: Dennis DeBruler Cleveland, Ohio

Dennis DeBruler: Thanks. I found it: https://maps.app.goo.gl/C7isbiNhX47xngJN7. And I learned where NASA has a facility in Ohio (Glenn Research Center).

[Google Maps indicates the bridge will be closed until Sep 2027.]

Dana Abfall: Dennis DeBruler there’s another in Perkins twp. About an hour away from the one off brook park rd. Used to be called plum brook station, nasa facility now. Originally a test nuclear reactor.

[Plum Brook Station is now labeled FBI. But a little to the Southwest is the NASA Hypersonic Tunnel Facility.)

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Jeff Sigsworth commented on Brian's post

Brian Jules: Jeff Sigsworth old Detroit rd crossing

Jeff Sigsworth: Brian Jules Oh, OK... a different bridge, then?

Brian Jules: Jeff Sigsworth yes that one was demolished in 1980, Hillard bridge [see further below] is supposedly next

1935,1990 Lorain Viaduct

2012 photo by C Hanchey via BridgeHunter_1935

HistoricBridges_1935
This 1,230' (375m) long bridge has a main span of 256' (78m).
"This bridge is a long and impressive multi-span steel deck arch bridge. An uncommon bridge type, steel deck arch bridges are typically utilized in between steep canyons, and so are in many cases single span, making this multi-span example over a broad river valley even more unusual. The bridge was also technologically noteworthy when built as it used welds in areas where rivets had traditionally been used. Rivets are still in many places on this bridge, but the use of welds in some areas was groundbreaking at the time. The bridge was designed with a nod to Art Deco style architecture. Some of this has been altered when the deck was widened, but the design of the railing and pillars remain to display this architectural influence."

HistoricBridges_1935
"Historical photo showing previous bridge at this location."

1925,1983 Hilliard Boulevard Bridge

Street View, May 2026
The bridge in the background is I-90.

The 860' (262m) long bridge has a main span of 220' (67m). [ArchivedBridgeHunter_1925]

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1910-1980 Detroit Avenue Bridge

US-6 Overview

US-20 Overview

US-20 still uses this bridge. US-6 now uses the Clifton Boulevard Bridge; but, since this route is labeled Alt US-6, this was probably the original route for US-6.

Postcard via BridgeHunter_1910

HAER OHIO,18-RORI,1--15
15. Photocopy of a photograph (original in the Office of the Cuyahoga County Engineer)--1963 AERIAL VIEW OF BRIDGE AND ENVIRONS, SHOWING RAILROAD TRESTLE AND CLIFTON-WESTLAKE BRIDGES IN BACKGROUND - Rocky River Bridge, Spanning Beaver Dam River, Rocky River, Cuyahoga County, OH

HAER OHIO,18-RORI,1--13
13. Photocopy of a photograph (original negative in the Cleveland Picture Collection, Cleveland Public Library)--1909 ROCKY RIVER BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, VIEW LOOKING SOUTH SHOWING FORMER HIGH-LEVEL BRIDGE IN BACKGROUND

HAER OHIO,18-RORI,1--14
14. Photocopy of a photograph (original negative in the archives of the Cleveland Plain Dealer)--1930 VIEW OF ROCKY RIVER BRIDGE LOOKING WEST, WITH WESTLAKE HOTEL IN BACKGROUND

Today, the replacement bridge is yet another steel-girder bridge, but the approach arches, in the left background, have been preserved because they are the foundation for a new building.

Street View, Aug 2017

Another view of the approach arches.

CrainsCleveland

HistoricBridges_1910
This bridge was 708' (215.8m) long with a main span of 280' (85.3m).
The main span "was the longest unreinforced concrete arch span when constructed."

According to HAER_data, it was still the longest unreinforced concrete arch in America when it was torn down.

All of the bridges

I got this topo map to confirm that Detroit Avenue was the original route for US-6. It was. But when I noticed how the contour lines emphasized the valley that the bridges crossed, I saved this map. Back then, Detroit and Lorain were the only bank-to-bank crossings of the Rocky River.

1904/48 Berea Quad @ 62,500