Liard River Suspension Bridge - Built in 1943
The Liard River Suspension Bridge (also referred to as the Lower Liard River Bridge) is a historic structure located at approximately kilometer 798 (historic mile 496) of the Alaska Highway in northern British Columbia, Canada, spanning the Liard River just south of Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park. Constructed during World War II as part of the rapid building of the Alaska Highway to connect the contiguous United States to Alaska for military purposes, the bridge was completed in 1943 after just nine months of work. It remains the only suspension bridge along the entire 2,232-kilometer (1,387-mile) route of the Alaska Highway and is one of six "special crossings" designated due to their engineering complexity.
The bridge was designed by the American Bridge Company, a prominent U.S. steel fabrication and bridge-building firm founded in 1900 through a merger orchestrated by J.P. Morgan, which had a long history of constructing record-breaking spans. Actual construction was carried out by engineers from the U.S. Public Roads Administration (PRA), which collaborated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the overall Alaska Highway project. The suspension design—spanning 307 meters (1,007 feet) in length and standing about 29 meters (95 feet) above the river—was chosen due to challenging ice conditions on the Liard River, which made it impractical to erect temporary scaffolding in the water for a more standard truss-style bridge.
A notable aspect of its construction was the use of salvaged steel from the infamous Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington State (nicknamed "Galloping Gertie"), which had dramatically collapsed in 1940 due to aerodynamic instability just months after opening. This recycling of materials was a practical response to wartime steel shortages and helped expedite the project while reducing costs. The bridge site itself lies within a culturally significant landscape long used by Indigenous peoples, fur traders, and early explorers.
Since its completion, the bridge has been maintained as a key infrastructure element on the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway, one of 25 bridges overseen in that section. It has undergone periodic upgrades, including erosion mitigation work around the Liard River and cable tension force testing in recent years (conducted by firms like Civionic Engineering for WSP Canada) to verify load ratings and structural integrity. As of 2025, the bridge remains in active use and is a popular landmark for travelers, offering scenic views of the surrounding boreal forest and river gorge.
See spectacular video of the "Galloping Gertie" bridge collapse here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0xohjV7Avo
Liard River Suspension Bridge - Built in 1943
The Liard River Suspension Bridge (also referred to as the Lower Liard River Bridge) is a historic structure located at approximately kilometer 798 (historic mile 496) of the Alaska Highway in northern British Columbia, Canada, spanning the Liard River just south of Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park. Constructed during World War II as part of the rapid building of the Alaska Highway to connect the contiguous United States to Alaska for military purposes, the bridge was completed in 1943 after just nine months of work. It remains the only suspension bridge along the entire 2,232-kilometer (1,387-mile) route of the Alaska Highway and is one of six "special crossings" designated due to their engineering complexity.
The bridge was designed by the American Bridge Company, a prominent U.S. steel fabrication and bridge-building firm founded in 1900 through a merger orchestrated by J.P. Morgan, which had a long history of constructing record-breaking spans. Actual construction was carried out by engineers from the U.S. Public Roads Administration (PRA), which collaborated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the overall Alaska Highway project. The suspension design—spanning 307 meters (1,007 feet) in length and standing about 29 meters (95 feet) above the river—was chosen due to challenging ice conditions on the Liard River, which made it impractical to erect temporary scaffolding in the water for a more standard truss-style bridge.
A notable aspect of its construction was the use of salvaged steel from the infamous Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington State (nicknamed "Galloping Gertie"), which had dramatically collapsed in 1940 due to aerodynamic instability just months after opening. This recycling of materials was a practical response to wartime steel shortages and helped expedite the project while reducing costs. The bridge site itself lies within a culturally significant landscape long used by Indigenous peoples, fur traders, and early explorers.
Since its completion, the bridge has been maintained as a key infrastructure element on the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway, one of 25 bridges overseen in that section. It has undergone periodic upgrades, including erosion mitigation work around the Liard River and cable tension force testing in recent years (conducted by firms like Civionic Engineering for WSP Canada) to verify load ratings and structural integrity. As of 2025, the bridge remains in active use and is a popular landmark for travelers, offering scenic views of the surrounding boreal forest and river gorge.
See spectacular video of the "Galloping Gertie" bridge collapse here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0xohjV7Avo