Excerpts from Newspaper Articles and Documents about:
HPS-226 - Mill Avenue Bridge
MILL AVENUE BRIDGE - built in 1931
Notes:
Served as a major transportation link on two transcontinental highways - U.S. Route 60 and
the "Ocean to Ocean" U.S. Route 80, also part of Route 89, Arizona's only north-south
border-to-border highway. Poured concrete, open spandrel arch bridge, one of two in the
state. Rests on bedrock which allowed concrete arch design - preferred to truss-span because
of architectural and esthetic considerations.
Finished June 3, 1931, 15 months after the initial survey.
Cost $518,788, of which the federal government paid $351,433.
Has withstood frequent floods since opening.
In February 1980, during a "100 year flood" with 200,000 c.f.s., 92,000 vehicles crossed in a
24-hour period, far beyond design capacity.
It has 10 arched spans, each 140' long, total length including approaches is 1577'.
Spans are multiple ribbed with open spandrels, concrete roadway supported by beamed and
webbed columns above ribs, reinforced with steel ribs.
The Roadway is 36' wide, with 5' sidewalks on each side and pedestrian rest stations
(hexagonal).
Lynch-Cannon Engineering Co. of Los Angeles, contractor.
Ralph Hoffman, bridge engineer for state of Arizona.
Arizona Highway Dept. designed bridge.
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