Diamondback Bridge - Walking in the Belly of Rattlesnake

Tucson, Arizona has a bizarre and unique pedestrian-cum-bicycle bridge having shape of a rattlesnake. The snake is complete with open jaws, which act as an entrance, diamondback skin and a tail which rattles. The tail however is not exactly part of the bridge but it is a stand alone structure close to the other end of the covered bridge.

Known as Diamondback Bridge, though locals call it Snake Bridge, the bridge is 300 feet (~91.4 metres) long with a height and width of 16 feet (~4.9 metres) each. Completed in 2002, it was designed by artist Simon Donovan and is made of steel, concrete, fibreglass painted like the skin of the rattlesnake. The bridge is illuminated during night and is a popular landmark in Downtown Tucson.

As per the artist;

"... The Diamondback rattlesnake design was a logical solution for the bridge’s requirements. The bridge was already designed to be a relatively long, thin, caged structure – so why not round the edges, add a head and a tail, paint a pattern on the surface and create a giant rattlesnake? I feel that it is a perfect symbol of the Southwest desert environment. The snake is considered a benevolent, protective symbol in Native American mythology."

The Bridge has received many awards including a 2003 American Public Works Association’s Public Works Projects of the Year Award.

Image Source: Google Earth

Image from Flickr is by housechick

Image from Flickr is by hmmlargeart

Image from Flickr is by Steven Vance

Image from Flickr is by Steven Vance

Image from Flickr is by hmmlargeart

Image from Flickr is by Daquella manera

Image from Flickr is by Daquella manera

View location in Google Earth / Google Maps and Street View / MSN Bing Aerial View

Source of info: Web Page of Tucson Pima Arts Council.

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