Located at milepost XXX, the bridge over the Kuskulana River is one of the CR&NW’s two most remarkable structures.  The bridge, consisting of three steel deck truss spans (150′, 225′, and 150′) and several hundred feet of approach trestling, crosses a narrow chasm (a bit over 190′ wide) with the Kuskulana River surface 238 feet below.

Construction on the bridge started in November of 1910 and was completed on New Years Day 1911, during the heart of the Alaskan winter.  Temperatures during construction were routinely far below zero, with most histories mentioning -40F (-40C) to -60F (-51C) real temperature.  The winds that whip through the gorge would have only made things worse.

The bridge still stands today as the McCarthy Road’s crossing of the river.  in 2010, the bridge was upgraded with new decking and new approach trestling, as well as improved guardrails and a maintenance walkway.