Hurricane Gulch Bridge

The Hurricane Gulch Bridge is a 918 ft (280 m) long steel arch railroad bridge that crosses Hurricane Gulch, Alaska. It is located at milepost 284.2, counting from Seward. At 296 ft above the Hurricane creek, it is both the longest and tallest bridge on the entire Alaska Railroad. Many of Alaska Railroad's passenger routes pass over this bridge, including the Denali Star, the Aurora Winter and the flag-stop Hurricane Turn, in addition to freight routes.[1][2]

Hurricane Gulch Bridge
Coordinates	63°0′54″N 149°37′0″W
Carries	Alaska Railroad
Crosses	Hurricane Gulch (tributary of Chulitna River)
Locale	Hurricane Gulch
Maintained by	Alaska Railroad
Characteristics
Design	Arch
Width	8 ft (2.4 m), 1 track with a walkway on one side
Longest span	918 ft (279.8 m)
Clearance above	Deck arch, unlimited clearance
Clearance below	296 ft (90 m)
History
Opened	August 15, 1921
Location

Shadow of the Hurricane Gulch bridge taken from a train crossing over it

A road bridge by the same name also exists.

Construction

Construction of this bridge by the American Bridge Company began in early 1921. The first steel was erected in June, and the first passenger train operated on August 15 of the same year. It was the most difficult and expensive bridge project on the railroad, and cost $1.2 million. To build it, the company strung an aerial tram across the gulch, and construction proceeded from both sides simultaneously.[3] For eight years, this was the tallest bridge in the US.

Panorama of Hurricane Gulch taken from the bridge

See also

• List of bridges in the United States by height

References

1. "Route Map". Alaska Railroad. Alaska Railroad. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
2. "Freight Routes". Alaska Railroad. Alaska Railroad. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
3. Combs, John. "Route Map: Hurricane Gulch". John's Alaska Railroad Page. Retrieved 14 March 2017.