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Lincoln Highway Bridge
During the early days of Tooele County area around 1900 a road was constructed over Johnson Pass and on west across what is now Dugway Proving Ground. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. was interested in opening a road to the west which became the Lincoln Highway. Mr. Fisher was president of the company and invested a large amount of money in the project. A group of convicts from Utah State Prison were camped at Clover Creek in order to start the construction, and later moved west as the road progressed. Their work included the construction of subject bridge and tiie building up of the elevated causeway from Granite Peak to the west edge of the salt flats. The portion of the road from Johnson Pass to west edge of the salt flats was known as the Goodyear Cut-off in honor of the interest and money the company invested. Attempts to make this road the main route to the west coast were not successful as certain influential persons in Salt Lake City wanted the western route to pass through that city. Therefore the Lincoln Highway passing through Dugway Proving Ground was abandoned in the early 1920’s, and was used by local ranchers and mining interests. This bridge is an existing structure of the original national Lincoln Highway from Lincoln, Nebraska to Sacramento, California. It is the only significant structure in this area that remains of the original proposed national highway.
The Lincoln Highway Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#75001825) on May 21, 1975 and is located in the Ditto area of Dugway, Utah.
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The bridge is of hewn logs and log supports. Hewn logs make up deck of bridge and circular logs make up supporting members. Abutments are of rock construction with concrete added in early 1930’s by CCC Camp to support badly deteriorated rock abutments. Dimensions are.14V-6″ long by ll’-6″ wide. Rails along the sides of the bridge have fallen “off. It is estimated that the structure was built about 1900, with rehabilitation by CCC Camp at Clover Creek in the early 1930’s. A new road and bridge diverted traffic away from bridge; consequently, it has remained in fairly good condition.
