The Coconino sun., 1927-03-04

600 toward its construction.
According to Captain j. B. Wright,
county highway engineer, who made
the original survey for the project,
since confirmed by State Engineer Le-
febvre, the only feasible location for
the bridge is the same that was Sc
lected by the Denver and Rio Grande
Western railroad over 35 years ago.
The point is on the Lees Ferry road,
IL miles west from the ferry and APP
preached from a point three-quarters
of mile west of Navajo Springs.
There the canyon converges into
narrow gorge, with a well defined
sharp rim of solid limestone, with
good approaches on either side.
The present proposed type is the
suspension, with a span of 615 feet,
the distance from rim to rim Of the
canyon at the surveyed point being
575 feet. The span will be approx
mately 425 feet above the water. "A
similar bridge is that at Cameron over
the Little Colorado river. The latter,
however, is AZ feet longer. Accord
ing to all engineering reports the
bridge is entirely feasible and should
be constructed without difficulty. All
of the lumber and steel will have to.
be hauled a distance of 128 miles, the
unloading point being Flagstaff. 9th
er construction material such as sand,
gravel and water are easily accessible.
The matter of the construction of
this bridge has been under considera-
tion for several years, and thorough
Investigations have been made of all
its phases by representatives of the
Indian service, Colonel Herbert Dea-
kyne, of the United States army and
county and state engineers.
A few interested parties have been
strong in advocating the constitution
of the bridge in the Grand Canyon,
178 miles below Lees Ferry and SO
miles below Bright Angel Greek. A
bridge here would connect with Toro-
weap Valley on the north in Mohave
county and Prospect Valley on the
south in Coconino county. The cross
ing would be built at the bottom of
the canyon and would be cheaper than
the Lees Ferry construction owing to
natural pier in the center of the
river called Vulcan Throne. However,
the actual bridge when compared to
the cost of building the approaches
would be only drop in the bucket.
The approaches would have to come
down from the present auto road on
the rim 1000 feet above. It would be
nearly all tunnel and the cost exces-
sive. 1t was for the latter reason that
the Grand Canyon site was never Civ
en- serious consideration by state and
federal engineers.
The proposed Lees Ferry structure
will be the key link in north-south
highway leading from Salt Lake City
in northern Utah to the Arizona Mex
leo border. At present time to travel
safely and easily from any part of
Arizona to that part of the state
which lies north of the river or to any
point in Utah, one has to go either
through New Mexico and Colorado, or
through part of California and Me-
vada by devious routes, hundreds of
miles out of the way. There is no di-
rect connection with the Utah state
highway system.
When the Lees Ferry bridge is con-
structed, and construction will prob
ably start this summer, it will open a
direct route through Flagstaff to Salt
Lake City, tapping the heart of in
dustrial, agricultural and scenic Ari-
zona. Connections will be made with
the Arrowhead trail, Lincoln highway
and Utah highway system, making it
only a day and half trip from this
city to Salt Lake City or two days
from Phoenix.
Coming south from Salt Lake City,
the traveller will enter Arizona near
Fredonia, traverse the beautiful Kai-
bab forest, through game preserve
where range thousands of deer, see
the North Rim Of Grand Canyon, on
over to House Rock Valley, where the
only wild herd Of buffalo in the state
grazes, across Lees Ferry bridge,
thence south through the Painted Des-
ert and Navajo Indian reservation,
across Cameron bridge and then
southwest past the San Francisco
Peaks to Flagstaff and the Old Trails
highway. From Flagstaff the tourist
will have a choice of any highway in
the state, and will be able to lay out
an itinerary which will cover the An