Building Roads and Bridges in Utah
Paving 1300 East in Salt Lake City, 1906.
In partnership with the Utah Department of Transportation, State History invites you to take a look back at Utah’s early road and bridge construction history.
Experience how road and bridge construction in the 19th century was compared to today with a collection of photos from State History's digital collection.Building Roads and Bridges photo slideshow
See other historic road photos from our online digital collection. Search hint.... type in "road construction" in the "do a quick search of our online photos" search box.
Learn more about Utah’s road construction history
Highway construction in Utah was and continues to be a subsidized effort
Awakening along with the rest of America to the need for better roads, the Utah legislature formed the first State Road Commission in 1909. The commission was besieged by various groups--part of the "good roads" movement--who believed that good roads would create a demand for motor vehicles. By 1920 the commission had inventoried 1,200 miles of roads; and during the next twenty years that list included over 5,000 miles of roads.
Half the cost was paid by federal dollars. Almost all roads were constructed or maintained by federal money. When the Interstate freeway system was authorized in 1956, the federal share rose to ninety-five percent for those expensive stretches of double- and triple-lane road in public-land areas. Roads did create a demand for motor vehicles.
The Federal Highway Act of 1921 provided money to improve seven percent of states' road systems. Utah participated with enthusiasm, and the heavy construction industry blossomed for the next decade.
Taken from the Utah History Encyclopedia. Read more.
Convict labor helped to build Utah's roads
The use of convict labor has been a well-established part of America's penal institutions for centuries. In 1909, thirteen years after Utah became a state, the legislature passed a law allowing the use of convict labor on public road work by prisoners whose terms were less than ten years.
These laws coincided with a major road-building program in Utah, and Governor William Spry saw the unpaid work of prisoners as essential in making Utah's road system second to none.
Taken from Utah History to Go. Read more.
Early Utah toll project was no road to riches
In the early history of Utah, it was not unusual for the Territorial Legislature to grant individuals the right to construct public roads, bridges or ferries and exact a toll until they were paid for. Probably the best known of these projects was Parley P. Pratt's toll road, which had its beginnings during the gold rush of 1849 but faded into obscurity by 1860.
In June 1850, the Deseret News carried the first advertisement for Pratt's new "Golden Pass Road."
Travellers between the States and California, are respectfully informed that a new road will be opened on and after the 4th of July, between the Weber River and Great Salt Lake Valley--distance about forty miles; avoiding the two great mountains, and most of the Kanyons so troublesome on the old route. The road is somewhat rough and unfinished; but is being made better every day. Several thousand dollars are already expended by the proprietor, who only solicits the patronage of the public, at the moderate charge of:
- 50 cents per conveyance drawn by one animal.
- 75 cents per conveyance drawn by two animals.
- 10 cents per each additional draught, pack or saddle animal.
- 5 cents per head for loose stock.
- 1 cent per head for sheep.
Taken from Utah History to Go. Read more.
The Civilian Conservation Corps
When Franklin D. Roosevelt took over as president in March 1933 the country was in the midst of the worst depression ever experienced in the United States. Among the organizations established to help relieve the situation was the Civilian Conservation Corps. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a New Deal program, provided jobs and training to young men and made improvements on public land.
The corpsmen built trails, bridges, low-standard roads, phone lines, campground improvements, fences, cabins and check and silt dams for flood control. Several of the Forest Service's CCC camps began many of the loop roads through the canyons of the Wasatch Range.
The CCC left behind a tremendous legacy. Many of these projects still benefit Americans today.
Taken from the Utah History Encyclopedia. Read more.
You can also search Utah State History’s Civilian Conservation Corps Collection photo collection.
Historic Bridges
The Rockville Bridge
The Rockville Bridge, Rockville, Utah, 1924.
The Rockville Bridge, located on Bridge Street crossing the East Fork of the Virgin River (south of Highway 9) in Rockville, Utah, was constructed in 1924. It was designed by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads for the National Park Service. C.F. Dinsmore, an Ogden bridge contractor, erected the bridge on site from prefabricated steel components manufactured by the Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company.
As the first direct link between Zion National Park and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, the bridge was built in response to and then contributed to the development of tourism in the area.
The construction of the Rockville Bridge is summarized in local newspaper articles (Washington County News) published between April and December, 1924. Read more on the Washington County Historical Society website.
Hurricane/LaVerkin Bridge
The Hurricane/LaVerkin Bridge, Hurricane, Utah, 1908.
The Hurricane/LaVerkin Bridge, located east of Highway 9, over the Virgin River, was constructed in 1908. The bridge incorporates distinctive characteristics in its method of construction and is one of the earliest and longest-surviving examples of a rigid Warren pony truss-type bridge in the state of Utah.
The Hurricane/LaVerkin Bridge was the first link between LaVerkin and Hurricane, contributing to the development of these communities. Its historical role was that of a vital transportation link that contributed to the development of southwestern Utah.
The history of the construction of the Hurricane/LaVerkin Bridge is summarized in local newspaper articles (Washington County News) written between March and July, 1908. Read more on the Washington County Historical Society website.