Updated Overview

The following videos are provided to support the coverage of the iron bridge crossings of the Colorado River south of Needles, CA, at Topock, AZ. These were YouTube videos made by the popular u-tuber “Russ of RV’erTV”

The first, made on Sept. 7, 2019, has been previously noted, but is included again for convenience and completeness. Three “fly the drone” positions, all along Historic 66, were shot as Russ drove IH 40 from Topock, AZ across the Colorado River toward Needles, CA, and around the area.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIsMfgNMiIw

Examining Google Earth and Google Maps helps identify the names and numbers of the various roads. On the top of the ridge west of the Colorado River bridges now sits PG&E’s Topock Natural Gas Compressor Station, and its current environmental problems and remediation efforts.

Search Google for “Erin Brockovich, California environmental activist” and see more at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Brockovich

“Pacific Gas & Electric litigation
As of 2016, average Cr-6 levels in Hinkley were recorded as 1.19 ppb with a peak of 3.09 ppb. For comparison, the PG&E Topock Compressor Station on the California-Arizona border averaged 7.8 ppb with peaks of 31.8 ppb based on a PG&E Background Study.[11] “

On Oct. 16, 2020, Russ of RV’TV returned to the Colorado River bridges he had filmed the previous year, as noted above. Fortunately for us, he filmed the section of Historic US 66, from 1947-1966, from Park Moabi (Pirates Cove) back south along the California side of the river until he reached the end of the paved road, which had been the roadbed for the ATSF railroad of 1890-1945. See at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt2Y50QnIyc

A timeline of the video is:
8:16 Historic US 66 1947-1966 begins.
8:26 PG&E Environmental Remediation efforts, begins at traffic signal.
8:47 ATSF-BNSF railroad bridge of 1945 still operates.
9:03 IH40 bridge of 1966.
9:19 PG&E end traffic signal
9:27 (Rail) road curve ends at demolished Red Rock ATSF (A&P) Iron Bridge of 1890-1945. The Red Rock Bridge was modified and used by Caltrans for carrying US 66 traffic from 1947-1966. The right-turn detour south Russ takes connects to old NOTR-US66 coming from Old NOTR Arch Bridge.
9:35 The famous KEEP RIGHT sign (to Arizona) monument (to Old NOTR Arch bridge) is briefly seen in the background. Russ turns right to turn around at
9:40 Russ turns around in construction staging zone to 9:57. This short section of uphill road Russ uses to turn around is the old uphill grade to PG&E plant on top of the mesa. But before that time (1951), the grade was US 66 from 1931-1947 over the mesa and north into Bat Cave Wash, and perhaps even back to 1916. [ US 66 of 1931-1947 crossed Park Moabi Road (Exit 1) going north from IH 40 at time 6:48, just after Russ drove over the ATSF railroad bridge at time: 6:44.] Russ returns north along the former railroad and US 66 and stops and shoots two “Fly The Drone” scenes, the last one can actually see IH 40 traffic in the far background.