Satank Bridge

In February 1900, the Garfield County Board of Commissioners announced that it was seeking proposals for a replacement to a timber and iron Howe truss bridge north of Satank to cross the Roaring Fork River. Unsuccessful bids were submitted by the Midlands Bridge Company of Kansas City, Standard Bridge Company of Omaha, Broughton and Morrill of Pueblo, Colorado. The Pueblo Bridge Company, also from Pueblo, submitted the winning bid of a $2,325 (equivalent to $72,000 in 2024) Pratt through truss bridge built with timber and steel. The bridge's stone abutments had been built by May 7 and the bridge was completed a week later.^[1]

In May 1917, the county commissioners indicated that they hoped to raise Satank Bridge and grade its approaches. During a meeting, the commissioners said that they could not afford those changes during that year. Residents of Carbondale present at the meeting then volunteered themselves to privately raise $300 (equivalent to $7,000 in 2024) to assist with the costs, which the county accepted.^[5] The bridge was raised about 3 ft (0.91 m). The raising, which included installing concrete additions to the piers, was completed by June and was followed by grading.^[3]

Already among the oldest roadway truss bridges in Colorado by 1983, the Satank Bridge had become the only surviving public timber Pratt through truss bridge upon the Virginia Dale Bridge's demolition. When it was surveyed for the Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record in 1983, the bridge remained in good condition and was recognized as for its significance as a remnant among Coloradan bridges.^[1] The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a site of engineering significance on February 4, 1985.^[6] The bridge is also on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties.^[7]

By 2010, the bridge had developed significant structural deterioration. In 1994, the bridge had been closed to vehicular traffic, with pedestrians prohibited from crossing the bridge starting in 2003.^[8] Also in 2003, Colorado Preservation, Inc. put the bridge on its list of endangered places.^[9]

Restoration work funded by Garfield County and a History Colorado grant began in 2010. At $297,500 ($408,000 in 2024^[10]) the History Colorado grant was the largest ever given by the society to a single project. The total cost was estimated to be at least $750,000 ($1.03 million in 2024^[10]).^[11] A ribbon cutting ceremony for the reopened bridge was performed on May 12, 2011.^[11] The restoration work was performed by Gould Construction.^[4]

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Garfield County, Colorado