Lehi Historical Marker program honors significance of the city’s many Jordan River bridges
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- Area farmer Robert Allred, center, and family pose for a photo at the Lehi Historical Society’s Jordan River Bridge historical marker ceremony Saturday, March 15, 2025.
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- The Jordan River Bridge near 1500 North in Lehi provides a backdrop ahead of the Lehi Historical Society’s historical marker unveiling Saturday, March 15, 2025.
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- Lehi Mayor Mark Johnson speaks to citizens ahead of a ceremony for the unveiling of the Lehi Historical Society’s Jordan River Bridge historical marker Saturday, March 15, 2025.
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- A “no trespassing” sign is displayed along the Jordan River Bridge near 1500 North in Lehi on Saturday, March 15, 2025.
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- Dozens brave the chilly weather conditions to celebrate the unveiling of the Jordan River Bridge historical marker Saturday, March 15, 2025.
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- Lehi City Council member Paige Albrecht speaks to a crowd during the unveiling of the Jordan River Bridge historical marker Saturday, March 15, 2025.
Nestled between tall brown weeds and marshy land on Lehi’s west side, the Jordan River Bridge, or the “Old Iron Bridge” as some longtime residents refer to it, extends over a section of the Jordan River.
Built in 1914, the Jordan River Bridge is the last of several steel structures that were once situated around the city and played a vital role in early local transportation and Lehi’s rich agricultural history.
To commemorate the many bridges that have crossed the Jordan River throughout the years, the Lehi Historical Society unveiled the latest in a series of historical markers at the bridge site Saturday.
Dozens braved the cold and windy elements to take part in the honorary event.
Long before Lehi’s days of pioneering Utah’s technology sector, citizens endured great obstacles while hauling livestock and crops across the river.
The first bridge to cross the Jordan River in the Lehi area was constructed in 1853 just south of what is presently known as Main Street.
In 1907, a steel pony truss structure bridge was built along Main Street, but it was demolished in 1985 during an Army Corps of Engineers’ dredging project.
A nearly identical bridge was constructed in 1914 to cross the river at 9600 North and 7700 West. This is the bridge that remains today, though it’s essentially no longer in use.
Built for a little over $4,300 by the Midland Bridge Co., the long-standing bridge has served many purposes over the decades, said Dan Olds of the Lehi Historical Society.
“The bridge has been used for more than just crossing the river,” he said before a crowd of local officials and attendees at Saturday’s ceremony. “During the summer, the bridge was a popular place for local youth to cool off. Some of the braver ones would climb on the steel webbing and jump into the muddy waters; others used the bridge to fish.”
The bridge has withstood demolition training by the National Guard. It was briefly seen in the 1968 film “The Devil’s Brigade.”
Area farmer Robert Allred spoke on behalf of the many local farming families who benefited from the Jordan River Bridge.
“Rather than swim them across the river, they had another access to get out west and then they would go together and run their cattle out in West Canyon,” Allred said.
He thanked the historical society and all involved in celebrating the significance of Lehi’s Jordan River bridges.
“It was a great opportunity to have this bridge and bless many families’ lives and it’s fun to be a part of recognizing great historical sites in the community,” he said.
The Pratt pony truss bridge now sits alongside a more modern bridge made of concrete and steel after the Utah Department of Transportation agreed to bypass the 1914 bridge in favor of a new structure.
According to Lehi historians, the old bridge closed to motorized traffic in the late 1990s but remains intact.
The Jordan River Bridge has sparked controversy over the years due to safety concerns.
A fatal incident occurred in 2018 when an Alpine teen died after doing a backflip off the bridge into the river and failing to resurface.
City officials at the time considered tearing the bridge down to eliminate the chances of something similar happening in the future but ultimately decided against it given the structure’s history.
Utah County has maintained the bridge, and it is often used by pedestrians and cyclists as part of the Jordan River Parkway.
“I’m glad that we are here honoring the status of this bridge today,” said Lehi City Council member Paige Albrecht during last Saturday’s unveiling. “It has been obviously a huge memory, a strong point for so many in Lehi for generations.”
Saturday’s historical marker unveiling was the seventh out of 36 to be installed at different landmarks throughout Lehi over the next three years. It’s being made possible through a Lehi PARC grant and a donation from HADCO Construction.
The markers give a brief historical context for each site.
Lara Bangerter, director at the Lehi Historical Society, said the plan is to install at least 10 more markers by the end of the year.
“It’s a storytelling project, so you’re going to get a little story at every location,” she told the Daily Herald. “So it’s worth driving around.”
A list of historical markers can be found at lehihistory.org.
