The Coconino sun., 1927-04-01
WORLDS MOST MAGNIFICENT SCENIC
ROUTE WILL BE OPENED BY BRIDGE
OVER THE COLORADO AT LEES FERRY

The Grand Canyon of the Colorado
river widens out from a point about
/ 10 miles south of the Utah state line,
until it acquires a width Of many
miles lower down the river and OPP
posite the Ell Tovar hotel, Of approxl-
mately 13 miles. It is at the point
/ some 19 miles south Of the Utah line,
that the state of Arizona, in cooper
alton with the United States govern
ment, proposes to build a bridge.
This will be the most important high
way connection that Arizona has
undertaken in many years. The
bridge structure, spanning athe Grand
Canyon, will connect up our highway
! system with that of our sister state,
Utah. This connecting link, span
ming the Grand Canyon, will attain
more prominence each year.
The Lees Ferry crossing is q his
toric landmark. The bridge is not
to be constructed at Lees Ferry, but
at point some five miles below it.
We would not suggest that the name
of any Of our old landmarks be
changed. If anyone suggested that
the name Lees Ferry" be changed,
we would be opposed to it.
We believe, however, that the
| bridge to be constructed across the
| Grand Canyon should be called the
Grand Canyon Bridge"
No scenic wonder of the west is so
we'll known as the Grand Canyon of
the Colorado There will be much
travel from Salt Lake City across
this bridge into Arizona during the
coming years. If the tourists are
advised that they are to go via the
Grand Canyon Bridge" into Arizona,
that fact alone, will be the means of
| getting much travel to go over this
route. This will rebound to the
to the benefit of Arizona.
Probably more of the tourist travel
going west heads for Los Angeles
than any other place on the Pacific
coast. We believe the heaviest
travelled route in this direction, COM
ing from the east, is through Denver
and Salt Lake City. At the latter
city the traffic diverges. The Los
Angeles bound traffic heads south
westward over the Arrowhead Trail,
/ which goes from Salt Lake City south
TO Nephi. 80 miles from Salt Lake
City over wonderfully constructed
highway, and thence southwesterIy
through the extreme northwest
corner of Arizona, via Littlefield, and
on to Los Angeles. The Arrowhead
Trail through Utah is part of the 7
per cent system.
| Another leg of the Z per cent
system stretches southerly from
Nephi, down through the beautiful
Sewer River valley, with its great
sugar beet industry, in practically a
parallel line with the Arrowhead
Trail. Ultimately it will connect
with Arizona's highway system at
Fredonia, Arizona, which is so miles
west of the proposed Grand Canyon
Bridge.
| The route of the proposed high
way connection from Fredonia will
cross the top Of the Kaibab Plateau,
one of the few remaining forests of
virgin timber in the west. This
route will enable tourists to see much
wild game. There are many
thousands of deer on the Kaibab
Plateau. During the dry seasons as
many as two hundred deer in herd
may be seen around watering places.
After leaving the Kiabab Plateau,
the road drops down through House
Rock valley, where one may obtain a
glimpse of wild buffalo that roam this
!, intesesting section. After leaving
House Rock valley the highway will
follow upstream for few miles and
cross the Grand Canyon of the Colo
rado on the proposed bridge, at a
point where the Grand Canyon mar
rows down to a width of about 500
feet. The distance from the floor of
the bridge to the stream bed will be
approximately 400 feet. From this
point the road winds southwark over
: the Navajo Indian reservation, cross
ing the Little Colorado river at
Cameron on suspension bridge, 600
feet in length The road connects
with the National Old Trails high
, way at a point six miles east Of Flag
staff.
Many tourists come to the rlorth
rim Of the Grand Canyon from Utah,
only to retrace their steps. They
have to go back by the same route.
The Grand Canyon bridge will allow
these tourists to come from Salt Lake
, City, visit the Bryce Canyon, Cedar
Breaks and Zion National Park in
Southern Utah, visit the north rim Of
the Grand Canyon, cross this bridge
visit the south rim of the Grand Can.
yon. the interesting Indian villages or
the Navajo reservation, the old cliff
dwellings near Flagstaff, which, with
other points of interest, constitute
the most wonderful outdoor play
! groud in all America, with very little
loss of time or distance. They car
) then proceed westward to the Pacific
coast over good roads, or probably
: decide to remain in Arizona.
i A large portion of the traffic that
now goes over the Arrowhead Trai
will cross the Grand Canyon bridge
t band come through Arizona. The
$ structure that will form this i'm
portant Interstate highway link is
E worthy of the name Grand Canyor
4 ffasr ~ ~