Walking on top of the Old Safford Bridge built in 1918.
The Old Safford Bridge is probably a lesser known area. I don't recall recall ever reading about it in any Arizona Tourism books and I have perused quite a few.
The area around the bridge has been turned into a nice picnic area (there are picnic spots on both sides of the bridge) and also serves as a river put in for the Gila River for those of you who may want to float down the river.
Day use fee for the river put in is $3 per person with a maximum group size of 15. For additional information call BLM Safford Field Office at 928-348-4400 or visit at 711 14th Avenue Safford, AZ 85546. Photo taken August of 2020. Rates and contact info may have changed since.
The Old Safford Bridge Put In is a day use only area. However, the Owl Creek Campground is located only 1 mile East of the put in and offers some scenic views at a reasonable rate. I believe it was $5/night when I visited, definitely not more than $10. You can call the BLM Office at 928-348-4400 to verify the current rate. The campground has 7 camping unit spaces, picnic tables, grills, ramadas, and pit toilets (non-flushing chemical outhouses). Bring your own water.
Looking down on the Old Safford Bridge from Owl Creek Campground
Look for this sign to know when to turn for the Campground
If you search for Old Safford Bridge on Google Maps it will provide correct navigation to reach the area. However, it will bring you in from Clifton, AZ skipping most of the Black Hills Scenic Byway.
If you have some time to spare, I recommended taking the scenic route via Black Hills Scenic Byway. If you are heading North on the US-191 from Safford, AZ look for the turn around milepost 139 on the left. When I drove the road back in August of 2020 just about any car would make it but something with a little clearance would be best. I doubt you would need 4WD in good weather.
I spotted these horses on the side of the road as I was driving along the Black Hills Scenic Byway on my way to Clifton, AZ.
Once you get to the Old Safford Bridge Put In, it is a short walk (maybe 20-50 feet) to the Gila River and the area offers the shade of many trees.
Now that you know what to expect when you get there, here's a little history for those who are curious.
Back in 1917, part of the Black Hills Scenic Byway was known as Clifton-Solomonville Road. Most of it was designed to follow the mountain ridges avoiding the need for costly bridges. However, one was necessary to cross the Gila River.
It was originally going to be a steel deck arch bridge designed by State Engineer Thomas Maddock. Thomas estimated the bridge to cost $60,000 but actual construction bids exceeded the budget so that bridge design was scrapped.
The state changed the design to a single 270 foot open-spandrel arch with concrete girder approaches. But that was also scrapped.
In March 2018, the design was again changed by the new State Engineer B.M. Atwood to two equal-span Luten arches. This brought construction costs to within $200 of the original budget and the bridge was built.
Below are some quick facts about the bridge: