The Hurricane Gulch Bridge Is One Of The Tallest Bridges In Alaska
Alaska is built from a series of mountains and valleys, starting at sea level on the coast, and hitting elevations of more than 20,000 feet on our tallest mountain, Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America. So naturally, we will need some impressive bridges to get us across this vast state. The Hurricane Gulch Bridge in Alaska is one of the tallest bridges in the state, only surpassed in height by the railroad bridge of the same name. This is one bridge that you need to see up close and in person, if only so you can see the incredible views of the valley beneath it!
The Hurricane Gulch Bridge is a car bridge on the Parks Highway. The Parks Highway is one of the most scenic roads in Alaska.
Located in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, many people travel over this bridge on their way north to Fairbanks or south to Anchorage. It’s a well-traveled road, and this bridge sees a lot of traffic all year long.
This steel arch bridge soars over Hurricane Creek.
The valley it spans is known as Hurricane Gulch, and that's where it takes its name. It resides on mile 139.7 of the Parks Highway. It’s only a couple hours' drive from Anchorage.
It is 558 feet long and soars over the gulch at an impressive 254 feet high. There are so many interesting facts about Alaska, and the history of this bridge and its twin, the railroad bridge of the same name, are so fun to learn about.
The railroad bridge with the same name, the Hurricane Gulch Bridge, is the tallest bridge in Alaska. For the span of a couple of years, it was actually the tallest bridge in America.
That bridge also crosses over Hurricane Creek and sits 296 feet high. The Alaskan Railroad crosses this bridge in Alaska on many of its passenger routes. It's a stunning sight to see, whether by car or rail.
The views from the bridge are absolutely staggering, no matter which direction you face.
You'll see mountains in the distance, and the boreal forest clothed in the colors of the season. Get your camera ready as you pass over, so you can take a quick snapshot as you pass by. Because this bridge is one of the tallest bridges in Alaska, it offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.
Although you may want to walk this bridge to take photos, please don't.
The highway is a very busy two-lane highway and has a daily traffic count of almost 1,500 cars. You could put yourself and others in danger if you stand in the middle of this narrow bridge to take photos. Be sure to abide by highway road safety laws when you snap your photos of this amazing bridge.
Visiting this magnificent bridge should be on your bucket list if you haven't experienced it before.
Make a weekend of it and continue on to see the other impressive views of Denali National Park. However you choose to experience this magnificent bridge, you won't be disappointed! Even the act of driving over it is exhilarating.
Check out this drone footage of Hurricane Gulch Bridge by Ben Childers:
Have you ever visited the Hurricane Gulch Bridge in Alaska? What did you think? Was it amazing? Did you get any great photos? Let us know in the comments below!
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Address: Parks Hwy, Cantwell, AK 99729, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Hurricane Gulch Bridge In Alaska
December 08, 2020
Megan McDonald
Are there a lot of bridges in Alaska?
There are 1,134 bridges in Alaska. This seems like a lot, until you look at the amount of bridgesCalifornia has, which 25,771. Or Texas, who has the most bridges of any state, over 54,400 road bridges! Alaska doesn’t have many road bridges because most of the state isn’t accessible by road.
How many miles of highway are in the state of Alaska?
Alaska has 14,336 miles of highway in the state. This number includes highways in the both national parks and within the forests of Alaska. The longest highway in Alaska is A-1, which connects the Glenn Highway to the Richardson Highway, to the Tok-Cut Off, and then part of the Alaska Highway before it enters into Canada. That highway is 408.23 miles long.
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Megan McDonald is a writer, photographer, and owner of humu media, an Alaska-based digital media agency. She spends her free time traveling with her husband and daughter around the US and the world.
