09/02/2025
“The Bridge to Nowhere”
If you’ve noticed the big old McPhaul Bridge just north of Grove 95, and if it reminds you of a certain iconic bridge in San Francisco, you’re on the right track!
The McPhaul Bridge was designed by Ralph Modjeski, often called “America’s greatest bridge builder.” He also drew up plans for the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia, and the Bay Bridge in Oakland, almost clones of the Mcphaul. Modjeski went on to mentor Joseph Strauss, who later helped design and build the Golden Gate Bridge.
While the McPhaul Bridge never had the coast-to-coast significance of Yuma’s Ocean to Ocean Bridge, it was vital in its time as the only way to cross the Gila River heading north. Listed on the U.S. Register of Historic Places, it now sits silent above the dwindling riverbed. Closed in 1968 as modern vehicles outgrew it, the bridge was bypassed altogether once dams reduced the Gila to a trickle.
Remarkably, it still stands strong today. Imagine how incredible it would be to host a community dinner out on it! Unfortunately, it’s currently barricaded after vandals have done their thing over the years. Suspension Bridges in the Southwest are extremely rare and this might be the finest example we have. It will be turning 100 years old in 4 years!
It was named after Henry Mcphaul, a Yuma Local who served in the Arizona Rangers and was a prospector in the area
I think this bridge is super cool and more than just a relic, it’s a piece of Yuma’s identity worth celebrating. If enough of us see its value, maybe we can bring it back into the spotlight and give it the place it deserves in our community!
Trying to open in 6 weeks!
💛T
