September 10, 1965
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, located 10 miles (16 kilometers) northwest of the New Mexico town of Taos, was dedicated. Approximately 4,000 people were on hand for the grand opening of this steel deck arch bridge.
Jack M. Campbell (1916-1999), who served as governor of New Mexico from 1963 to 1967, cut a ceremonial ribbon at the eastern end of the bridge. He and numerous other dignitaries then walked across the bridge to its western edge for the remainder of the dedication program.
“The building of a bridge is an act of faith as well as engineering skill,” Campbell told those in attendance. He also said that the “bridge will bring untold blessings to those who now live in northern New Mexico and to those who will come here” because of the access provided by the newly opened structure.
Others participating in the dedication included representatives from the Native American tribe of Pueblo people in that region as well as Spanish dancers and folk singers. There was even a U.S. Forest Service ranger dressed as Smokey Bear. As further evidence of the enthusiasm surrounding the structure’s debut, the town of Taos officially designated that Friday as “Rio Grande Gorge Bridge Day.”
This bridge, located 565 feet (172.2 meters) above the Rio Grande, is one of the highest bridges in the United States. In 1966, it was selected by the American Institute of Steel Construction as “Most Beautiful Steel Bridge” in the “Long Span” category. The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, which is part of U.S. Route 64, was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon (https://www.flickr.com/people/72098626@N00) – licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en
For more information on the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, please check out https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/97000733
Transportation History 