Worland's 1934 Bridge Aids Sugar Beet Harvest Despite Poor Rating

More than 3,000 acres of sugar beets are transported across a 92-year-old bridge in Worland during the annual harvest. The structure on Culbertson Avenue serves as a critical route for trucks heading to the Wyoming Sugar plant, despite being rated in poor condition by the state.

Wyoming Department of Transportation records show the 426-foot bridge has held a poor condition rating for its deck, superstructure, and substructure since May 2000. This year's inspection, conducted in May, noted cracks and spalls on the deck that indicate near full depth deterioration. The report also cited corrosion in the superstructure and cracking throughout the pier and abutments. WYDOT began inspecting the bridge annually in May 2024, having checked it every two years from 2000 to 2022.

A load limitation implemented a couple of years ago requires adjustments for farms on the west side of the river. Cody Beers, a WYDOT spokesman, stated that the agency has met with Wyoming Sugar to explore building a new bridge. However, those discussions have been paused due to costs. Beers said the department continues dialogue with the company because the sugar beet industry is important to Washakie County and the City of Worland.

Wyoming Sugar CEO Michael Greear explained that the bridge's location just above the plant aids operations for inbound and outbound scales. Beet trucks arriving from the west side use the crossing to keep traffic off Main Street. Greear said this arrangement provides a safety component for the community during the busy harvest season. If the structure were closed, it would create congestion and slow farmers' ability to move crops out of their fields due to necessary truck rotations.

The bridge opened in late 1934 after the state highway department awarded a contract in April of that year. The Worland Grit newspaper reported that the community held a parade to the new structure on October 27, 1934, featuring the high school band. The newspaper stated the cost ranged between $105,000 and $106,000, which equals $2.6 million in 2026 dollars. It was one of the largest and most expensive bridges in Wyoming at the time.

Crossing the Big Horn River in Worland dates to 1906 when the town was known as Camp Worland. A wooden footbridge was constructed around 1907, and residents used a river ferry until the 1920s. Ice jams threatened the wooden structures, leading to the construction of a steel truss bridge at Winchester in the 1920s. The current steel bridge replaced these earlier methods of crossing the river.