Prior to the completion of this bridge in 1924 there had been a railroad bridge here since about 1883 or 1884. Revelstoke was first connected to the outside world by road in 1922, when a highway opened through Eagle Pass, west to Sicamous. For years, Revelstoke was the end of the line for travelers heading east by road. From here it was necessary to ship one's vehicle by rail to Golden, from which one could continue their road journey eastward.
Work began on the Big Bend Highway in the 1930s and unemployed men were pressed into service to help build the new highway. They were paid 20 cents per day and given room, board and clothing in return for working on the road. The Big Bend Highway was opened on June 29, 1940, finally providing a roadway all the way through the Columbia Mountains.
This single lane, steel decked bridge remained the only road bridge across the Columbia until the first official opening of the Revelstoke Suspension Bridge on July 28, 1961. There were actually two official openings of that bridge, a provincially sponsored one in July and another, officiated by the federal government in September, 1961. Today the three bridges stand side by side, this one the furthest east, the suspension bridge on the west and the railroad bridge in the middle.
The bridge consists of six individual spans, the two at the north end Parker through truss and the remaining four double-intersection Warren through truss spans. On the east side of the bridge is a cantilevered walkway, steel with wooden plank decking.
This bridge is impressive and noteworthy as a long multi-span truss bridge located in a beautiful landscape whose beauty speaks for itself. The bridge has spans with two different truss configurations. Two of the spans are Parker truss spans while the remaining four spans are uncommon double-intersection Warren truss spans. The bridge appears to retain good historic integrity including lattice and pole railings. The bridge has one cantilevered sidewalk.
From the Historic Bridges![]()