The Hurricane Gulch Bridge is a 918-foot (280 m) long steel arch railroad bridge that crosses Hurricane Gulch, Alaska. It is located at milepost 284.2, counting from Seward. At 296 feet (90 m) above the Hurricane creek, it is both the longest and tallest bridge on the entire Alaska Railroad. Many of Alaska Railroad's passenger trains pass over this bridge, including the Denali Star, the Aurora Winter and the flag-stop Hurricane Turn, in addition to freight movements.
A road bridge by the same name also exists upstream and slightly east of the rail bridge.
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 (equivalent to $21.2 million in 2024 adjusted for inflation). To build it, the company strung an aerial tram across the gulch, and construction proceeded from both sides simultaneously. For eight years, this was the tallest bridge in the US.
See also
- List of bridges in the United States by height
References
