Petrified Forest National Park Roads & Bridges, Holbrook, Navajo County, AZ
Summary
Significance: The Petrified Forest National Park is so designated for its scientific and educational value, in addition to its natural scenic beauty. Intersecting, and at times, overlaying, prehistoric and historic transportation corridors, the trunk-and-spur road system simultaneously provides access to, while protecting, petrified wood resources that are some 200 million years in the making. Thoughtful engineering and landscape design features conform to classic National Park Service road standards, including harmony with the surrounding terrain, the obliteration of construction scars, long and sweeping views, gradual grades, and meandering curves. Bridges and culverts are carefully designed as well, characterized by symmetry, utility and unobtrusiveness.
The design and construction of the roads and bridges at Petrified Forest National Park reflect larger national trends, including the shift from rail tourism to auto travel and the increasing post-World War II reliance on roads for economic gain, including heritage tourism. The history of their construction reflects the application of New Deal work programs to improve the nation's transportation system, as well as the later infusion of federal funding as part of the "Mission 66" initiative. The roads and bridges reflect the prodigious effort by planners to imbue the American driving experience with education opportunities, scenic beauty and recreational relaxation.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N933
Survey number: HAER AZ-58
Building/structure dates: HAER AZ-58
Nothing Found.