The Red River Bridge is destroyed truss span which was located along River Road in St. George at the Virgin River. This truss span was 220 feet in length and was constructed in 1908 as component of River Road. The name of the structure was a reference to the red paint it was coated in.
The Red River Bridge and River Road were both components of Utah State Route 64 circa 1931-1969. Utah State Route 64 connected downtown St. George southward to the Arizona state line where it linked up with the roadway to the town of Wolf Hole. Utah State Route 64 was one of many minor State Highways in Utah which were deleted in 1969.
The Red River Bridge was destroyed on New Year's Eve 1988 when Quail Creek Dam failed. River Road was opened via a temporary culvert span by early 1989 and a permanent bridge was installed by 1992. After the Washington County Flood of January 2005, the ruins the Red River Bridge were uncovered in the bed of the Virgin River. The northern approach was twisted back into shape and installed atop a pedestrian span over the Virgin River in 2013.
Utah State Route 64 and location of the Red River Bridge can be seen on the 1950 Shell Highway map of Utah.
Part 1; the history of the Red River Bridge and original Utah State Route 64
The southern bank of the Virgin River in the early days of St. George was the location of numerous cotton farms owned by residents of the city. In 1908 a 220-foot-long steel truss bridge was constructed along River Road by the Midland Bridge Company to allow residents access to their farms. Funding for the structure was obtained via a $5,550 appropriation from the state of Utah, a donation of $3,500 in private donations and $3,056.80 by Washington County.
The Virgin River Truss Bridge connected to the Bloomington Hills and would act as part of River Road. River Road originated at 700 South Street near downtown St. George and extended southward to the Arizona state line where it continued to the ranching community of Wolf Hole. The Virgin River Bridge was coated in red paint which led to the structure being called "Red River Bridge" by locals.
The Red River Bridge can be seen below as it was in 1912 (Washington County Historical Society photo).
This photo is of the Red River Bridge from the south bank of the Virgin River (Washington County Historical Society photo).
In 1931 the Red River Bridge would become a component of the original Utah State Route 64. Utah State Route 64 originated at US Route 91 in downtown St. George at St. George Boulevard. Utah State Route 64 followed 700 East Street and 700 South Street to River Road. Utah State Route 64 followed the entirety of River Road to the Arizona state line towards Wolf Hole.
Utah State Route 64 can be seen on the 1937 Gousha map of Utah.
Utah State Route 64 and location of the Red River Bridge can be seen on the 1950 Shell Highway map of Utah.
The original Utah State Route 64 was decommissioned in 1969 by the state of Utah along with numerous other minor State Highways. At the time the lands south of the Virgin River served by River Road were largely unoccupied. Post Office Service at Wolf Hole operated circa 1918-1927 and the community by the 1960s had long declined to a ghost town.
The Red River Bridge was destroyed on New Year's Eve 1988 when Quail Creek Dam failed. A 200-foot segment of the earthen embankment dam breached which sent 25,000-acre feet of water into the Virgin River Channel. The failure of the Quail Creek Dam also damaged around 60 homes and caused $12,000,000 in property damage. There were no fatalities due to the flooding of the Virgin River channel.
Interstate Rock Products constructed a temporary bridge along River Road to destroy access south of the Virgin River. The present permanent bridge was constructed along River Road in 1992.
Following the January 14, 2005, Washington County Flood the wreckage of the Red River Bridge was discovered in the Virgin River. The wreckage had been buried under sand bars which had previously masked it. in 2013 the northern approach to the Red River Bridge was repaired by McArthur Welding Company and placed atop a pedestrian bridge next to River Road.
Part 2; a visit to the Red River Bridge
This view faces southward at the ruined northern approach to the Red River Bridge. The modern River Road Bridge can be seen on the left.
The original bridge build placard is intact but heavily corroded after sitting in the Virgin River for nearly two decades.
A replica bridge placard can be found on the pedestrian path along with a historical plaque.
The ruined approach to the Red River Bridge from the Virgin River Trail.
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