The Arkansas River Bridge is a historic riveted continuous girder bridge in Pueblo, Colorado. Built in 1958, the bridge carries Interstate 25 over its namesake river and is associated with the development of the Pueblo Freeway, a major part of Colorado’s Interstate Highway System. It is one of two bridges with this name featured in the Historic Bridges of Colorado listing, and the 1958 Pueblo crossing represents a later chapter in the state’s bridge and highway history.
The bridge was constructed during the postwar period, when Colorado and the nation were reshaping transportation around high-speed automobile and truck travel. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 accelerated development of the Interstate Highway System, and bridges became critical components of that new network. In urban areas such as Pueblo, Interstate construction required major crossings over rivers, rail corridors, industrial areas, and existing city streets.
The 1958 crossing is significant for its association with the Pueblo Freeway and the larger Interstate 25 corridor connecting Pueblo and Denver. I-25 became one of Colorado’s most important north-south transportation routes, linking Front Range cities, military installations, industrial centers, commercial districts, and regional highways. Within Pueblo, this river crossing became a major piece of freeway infrastructure and an important local transportation link.
The bridge is also significant as a rare long-span example of a riveted continuous girder bridge. Steel girder bridges use horizontal steel members to carry the roadway deck and transfer loads to piers and abutments. A continuous girder bridge extends across multiple supports, allowing loads to be distributed more efficiently than in a series of simple spans. This design was especially useful for longer crossings where engineers needed strength, durability, and a comparatively low-profile structure.
The structure is particularly notable for its cantilevered design. Its two main spans are approximately 165 feet each, with an overall structure length of about 335 feet. The steel plate deck girder superstructure reflects mid-twentieth-century engineering approaches used for major highway and freeway crossings before welded construction became more common. Its riveted construction also links it to earlier steel bridge technology while placing it within the modern freeway era.
Arkansas River Bridge has been determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A in the area of Transportation and Criterion C in the area of Engineering. Its transportation significance comes from its association with the Pueblo Freeway, an important part of Colorado’s Interstate Highway System and a key connection between Pueblo and Denver. Its engineering significance comes from its rare long-span riveted continuous girder design and its notable cantilevered configuration.
The bridge’s character-defining feature is its cantilevered steel plate deck girder superstructure. The metal beam railings are also original to the bridge. Together, these features convey the structure’s mid-twentieth-century engineering significance and its identity as a major Interstate-era crossing in Pueblo.
Although most Interstate Highway System resources are exempt from Section 106 review under federal preservation procedures, this bridge was identified as an exception to that exemption. CDOT has committed to carrying out Section 106 and Section 4(f) consultation for the structure when projects are proposed. This status reflects its recognized importance within Colorado’s historic transportation infrastructure.
As part of the Historic Bridges of Colorado preservation effort, the 1958 Pueblo crossing has been identified as a preservation-priority bridge. CDOT selected it for Group B, recommending development of an individual bridge management plan because it is a notable example of its type and provides a major I-25 crossing in Pueblo. The bridge’s location, scale, and engineering design make it an important candidate for thoughtful preservation planning.
Preserving the bridge presents challenges common to large active highway structures. Maintenance access, environmental conditions along the river, potential paint or steel deterioration, traffic demands, and roadway safety standards all affect long-term planning. Because the structure remains part of a major transportation corridor, preservation decisions must balance public safety, engineering needs, and historic integrity.
This bridge helps expand the Historic Bridges of Colorado story beyond early state highway construction and Depression-era public works. It represents the Interstate era, when Colorado’s transportation system entered a new phase of high-speed, high-capacity travel. Its continued preservation ensures that the state’s mid-twentieth-century freeway infrastructure is recognized as part of Colorado’s broader bridge heritage.
This bridge is one of the 23 preservation-priority bridges featured in Colorado Preservation, Inc.’s Historic Bridges of Colorado listing. View the full Historic Bridges of Colorado overview to learn more about the statewide preservation effort.