Rim Rock Drive is a scenic road in Colorado National Monument. The 23-mile (37 km) drive follows the upper rim of a series of canyons, extending from the vicinity of Fruita, Colorado, in the west to near Grand Junction, Colorado, in the east, connecting points only 8 miles (13 km) miles apart in a straight line. The entire road has been designated a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Rim Rock Drive Historic District | |
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| Nearest city | Grand Junction, Colorado |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°3′25″N 108°42′4″W / 39.05694°N 108.70111°W |
| Built | 1931 |
| MPS | Colorado National Monument MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000310 |
| Added to NRHP | April 21, 1994[1] |
The routing of the road was determined in November 1931 by National Park Service Engineer Thomas W. Secrest during a visit to the monument.
The detailed design for the road was developed in 1932 by the National Park Service Branch of Engineering and Branch of Plans and Design for maximum scenic impact, using the National Park Service Rustic style. Most of the road was constructed with almost entirely manual labor by labor from the Works Progress Administration, Public Works Administration, and Civilian Conservation Corps, and represents one of the most significant Depression-era public projects. Extensive drilling and blasting was required, and three tunnels were bored.[2] Work was suspended by the Second World War from 1942 to 1948, and was finally completed in 1950.[3] At its height, the project employed more than 800 men.[4]
References
edit- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ "Rim Rock Drive". List of Classified Structures. National Park Service. December 12, 2008.
- ^ "From the Past Into the Future: Building Rim Rock Drive". Colorado National Monument Association. December 12, 2008.
- ^ Simmons, R. Laurie; Simmons, Thomas H.; McKoy, Kathy (January 1994). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Rim Rock Drive" (pdf). National Park Service.
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External links
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Media related to Rim Rock Drive at Wikimedia Commons- Rim Rock Drive, Colorado National Monument
- Building Rim Rock Drive, Colorado National Monument Association
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. CO-29, "Rim Rock Drive, Fruita, Mesa County, CO", 12 photos, 3 color transparencies, 2 photo caption pages
