1965 US-64 Rio Grande Gorge Bridge over Rio Grande River near Taos, NM

(Archived Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Highest Bridges; Satellite, 13,803 photos!!)

This 1,281' (390m) long bridge has a main span of 600' (183m). [BridgeHunter]

cmh2315fl Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge (Taos County, New Mexico)

Scenic Rio Grande Gorge Bridge in Taos County, New Mexico. The bridge is a 3-span cantilever steel deck truss carrying U.S. Hwy 64 over the Rio Grande. It was fabricated by the American Bridge Company and built by J.H. Ryan and Son, Inc. In 1966, the bridge won the first-place prize for Long Span bridges from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).

Here, the Rio Grande is designated as the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River and located within the Río Grande del Norte National Monument. The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge was listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties (HPD 1664) and on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP No. 97000733) in 1997.

Glenn Curtiss, Jul 2019

NewMexicoRiverAdventures
"In 1968, the Rio Grande was one of the eight rivers included in President Johnson’s original National Wild and Scenic River Act. This conservation designation ensured that rivers protected under the act would be maintained undammed and free-flowing to protect the ecological and historic integrity of the area."
[I'm surprised that the Bureau of Reclamation didn't flood this gorge with a dam before 1968.]

 

Highest Bridges, 1 of many photos, Photo by Eric Sakowski 

565 feet high / 172 meters high

600 foot span / 183 meter span

1965

"With its headwaters high up in the Rocky Mountains of south-central Colorado, the Rio Grande is America’s 4th longest river, stretching 1,885 miles (3,034 km) south to the Gulf of Mexico. Located 10 miles (16 km) west of Taos, the deep gorge of the Rio Grande is the only major rift across an otherwise flat expanse of land between the mountains of the Carson National Forest and the Sangre de Cristos....miles (6.4 km) north of the bridge. From here the river flows south for 16 miles (26 kms) through the famous Taos “Box” where the river is mostly continuous white water of Class 4+ and 5 in high water. The takeout is at Taos Junction Bridge where the river becomes placid again."

 

Lonestar Hippie Hiker posted
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge is the second highest bridge on the U.S. Highway System and the fifth highest bridge in the United States.  How did they even build that??
Lonestar Hippie Hiker shared

Zach Ernst: *7th highest

In June 2024, the sheriff's office had to recover a third body in 2024. They are presumed to be suicides. The recovery efforts take most of a day and jeopardize the safety of the sheriff deputies. $150,000 was allocated in 2019 to improve the safety. But someone doesn't think the bridge can hold a fence or net. [krqe]

On Aug 4, 2024, another person jumped off the bridge. [TaosNews]

I'm glad that they added that extra height to the handrailing. I would not feel safe with a waste-high railing. But the horizontal members facilitate climbing the railing. They should replace this railing with a bunch of vertical rods. Every other rod should be 7' (2.1m) and the others should be 5' (1.5m). The shorter rods allow a clear view if you stand close to the "railing." 

Street View, Feb 2024