The Hite Crossing Bridge In Utah Is A Feat Of Engineering

Many of America’s cities and towns have large rivers running right through them, and in some states, crossing a big bridge is an everyday occurrence. Utah’s largest rivers are tiny in comparison to the great Mississippi or Missouri Rivers, and we have very few bridges. Here’s one of the most remarkable:

Take a drive from Blanding along Utah’s SR-95, and you’ll witness some of Utah’s most beautiful, and vast, scenery. The red rock of the desert contrasts with the blue sky above, and on a sunny day, this drive is incredibly scenic.

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As you approach the Colorado River, you’ll see just one man-made landmark in this seemingly endless wilderness. Can you spot Hite Crossing Bridge in this photo?

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From afar, it looks like something from a child’s Erector set.

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The arch bridge was completed in 1966, at a cost of around $3 million. It’s the only automobile-accessible bridge to cross the Colorado in more than one hundred miles (the Glen Canyon Bridge crosses the river 185 downstream, and the Route 191 Bridge crosses about 110 miles upstream by Moab).

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The Hite Crossing Bridge is named for Cass Hite, a prospector working in the area in the 1880s who created a ford known as “Dandy Crossing.” It was the only way to cross the river at the time.

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The bridge isn’t particularly large, but it sits about 200 feet above the muddy Colorado below.

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What makes this bridge so interesting? It’s literally in the middle of the desert - a feat of engineering surrounded by some of Utah’s most scenic natural beauty.

Jean Philippe Desjeunes/Google

To see this beautiful bridge, take State Route 95 north from Blanding, or travel south from Hanksville.

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While you’re in the Blanding area, check out Edge of the Cedars State Park. It’s one of these nine lesser-known state parks that will absolutely amaze you.