Rifle Bridge

The Rifle Bridge, over the Colorado River in Rifle, Colorado, was built in 1909. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[1]

Rifle Bridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Off SR 6/24 over Colorado River, Rifle, Colorado
Coordinates	39.527841°N 107.781572°W / 39.527841; -107.781572 (Rifle Bridge)
Area	0.2 acres (0.081 ha)
Built	1909
Built by	Sheely, C.G.
Architectural style	Pennsylvania/Parker Truss
MPS	Vehicular Bridges in Colorado TR
NRHP reference No.	85000213[1]
Added to NRHP	February 4, 1985

It is a two-span steel through truss bridge, with one 12-panel Pennsylvania truss span and one 10-panel Parker truss span. It was assessed to be "situated poorly on a tight bend in the river and has required periodical maintenance to keep it in place. Despite construction of a concrete jetty in 1922 to divert the main channel, the Colorado continues to work against the pier and north abutment."

In a 1983 survey of Colorado's historic bridges, it was assessed that

The Rifle Bridge is historically significant as a regionally important crossing of the Colorado River - the most expensive contracted for [or] by Garfield County. Its Pennsylvania through span is the longest among the pinned trusses left in the state and is one of only two of its type in the survey; the Parker through is one of only two and is the longest of its type, and the two combined to form one bridge is unique. Erected by important Colorado bridge contractor C.G. Sheely, the Rifle Bridge is a visually striking long-span truss - one of Colorado's most significant vehicular bridges.[2]

By then it was no longer in use for vehicular transportation.[2]

It is located between what is now U.S. Highway 6 on the north side of the river, and Interstate 70 on the south.[3]