Black Suspension Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black Bridge |
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The Black Bridge from the South Kaibab Trail
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| Coordinates | 36°06′03″N 112°05′21″W / 36.1009°N 112.0892°W |
| Carries | Pedestrians, pack animals |
| Crosses | Colorado River |
| Locale | Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States |
| Owner | National Park Service |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Suspension bridge |
| Width | 5 feet |
| Longest span | 440 feet |
| History | |
| Designer | Ward P. Webber |
The Black Suspension Bridge is a cool bridge that crosses the Colorado River deep inside the amazing Grand Canyon National Park. It's also called the Kaibab Trail Suspension Bridge. This bridge is 440 feet long, which is about the length of 15 school buses! It's an important part of the South Kaibab Trail, and it's the main way that mules cross the river to get to Phantom Ranch. For hundreds of miles along the Colorado River, the Black Bridge and the Silver Bridge (which is a bit further downstream) are the only bridges you'll find.
History of the Black Bridge
Before 1907, crossing the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon was very dangerous. People had to use boats, and many lives were lost.
Then, a person named David Rust built a special cableway in 1907. This was a steel cage, about six feet by ten feet, that could carry one mule or a few people across the river. Even though it was better than a boat, it was still a bit scary to use. Even Theodore Roosevelt, who was the President at the time, used this cableway in 1913!
In 1920, another bridge was built. It was a suspension bridge, but it wasn't very strong or steady. It wobbled too much, making it unsafe for people to cross, especially as more and more visitors came to the park.
So, the Black Bridge was designed by Ward Webber and built by John Lawrence in 1928. This new bridge was much stronger and safer. For many years, it was the only way to cross the river for hundreds of miles, until the Silver Bridge was built nearby in the 1960s.
Building the Black Bridge was a huge challenge! Cars and trucks couldn't get to the construction site. So, all 122 tons of building materials had to be carried nine miles down the trails by people and mules. Imagine this: 42 brave Havasupai tribesmen worked together, walking in a single line, to carry the huge, one-ton, 550-foot long cables needed for the bridge!
Why the Black Bridge is Special
The Black Bridge is a really important piece of engineering. In 1984, it was officially recorded in the Historical American Engineering Record. This means it's a significant historical structure.
Then, on February 23, 2019, the bridge received an even bigger honor. It was named a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. They said that the Black Bridge is a great example of how smart and creative civil engineers can be. Building such a bridge at the bottom of the amazing Grand Canyon showed incredible skill and new ideas.
It's amazing to think that as of 2019, the Black Bridge was still standing strong and working perfectly, just as it was built 91 years ago!
