The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, locally known as the “Gorge Bridge” and the “High Bridge”, is a steel deck arch bridge across the Rio Grande Gorge 10 miles northwest of Taos, New Mexico along Highway 64. At 565 feet above the Rio Grande River, it is the seventh highest bridge in the United States and 82nd highest bridge in the world.
The bridge was started in 1963 and completed in 1965. It was dedicated on September 10, 1965 and is a part of U.S. Route 64, a major east–west road. The span is 1,280 feet, or almost a quarter-mile long: two 300+ foot-long approach spans with a 600+ foot-long main center span.
In 1966 the American Institute of Steel Construction awarded the bridge “Most Beautiful Steel Bridge” in the “Long Span” category.
A $2.4 million “face-lift” to the bridge was completed in September 2012. This year-long project included repair and restoration work to the 50-year-old bridge including structural steel work, a new concrete deck surface, new sidewalks, ramps, curbs, and gutters.
The bridge has appeared in several films, including Natural Born Killers, Twins, White Sands, She’s Having a Baby, The Signal (2014 film), Paul, Wild Hogs, and Terminator Salvation.
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge in Taos New Mexico is a must see attraction.
