About The Bridge
The Archie and Lois Archuleta Bridge is the City’s most prominent bridge along the Jordan River.
This 1,200-foot-long and ADA-accessible bridge runs over the Union Pacific railroad tracks parallel to the Jordan River between North Temple (across from the Fairpark) and 200 South (at the Fisher Mansion). The bridge received the Merit Award from the national magazine Engineering News-Record in 2018.
Bridge Dedication
On June 17, 2022, Mayor Erin Mendenhall honored the legacy of the Archuletas and their contributions to their neighborhood and to Salt Lake City with the dedication of the Archie and Lois Archuleta Bridge.
View the full press conference here.
About Archie & Lois Archuleta
Robert “Archie” and Lois Archuleta moved to Poplar Grove in 1962. Archie was the son of Mexican migrant farmers from Idaho and Lois was a farm girl from the plains of eastern Colorado. Their passion for education brought them both to Salt Lake City and they have been fighting for that opportunity for others ever since.
The Poplar Grove neighborhood, like most of Salt Lake City, was predominantly white so the blended Archuleta family was part of the transformation within the community. Archie and Lois gave each of their 5 children one Anglo name and one Spanish name to honor their heritage and cultures. Their home was a de facto community center with children and families always welcome to their inclusive home.
Archie taught elementary school in Salt Lake City for over 30 years. He was a mentor to his students long after they left his classroom. He helped lay the foundation and served as Principal for what would become the multi-cultural Horizonte High School and Instruction and Training Center, ensuring that thousands of local youth receive the education and skills necessary to achieve self-sufficiency and become contributing participants within their community. After retiring from the school district, he continued to teach as an adjunct professor of sociology at Salt Lake Community College focusing on American history and racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, and civil rights.
In addition to their passion for education, the Archuletas were dedicated activists on behalf of poverty, peace, civil rights and liberties, equality, and cultural issues. Speak Up! for Peace, Justice & Equality was Archie’s catchphrase and his legacy. Archie served on numerous community committees and boards, including Centro Civico Mexicano, the Center for Documentary Arts, Salt Lake County Democratic Caucus, Concerned Citizens Committee, Alliance for Unity, Utah Aging Commission, Crossroads Urban Center, Utah Humanities Council, the Enriching Utah Coalition, and the University of Utah’s Diversity Community Council.
Archie received numerous awards and recognitions for his advocacy during his lifetime, including the Albert Fritz Civil Rights Award from the Salt Lake City branch of the NAACP, the Quixote Lifetime Achievement Award from the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Cualli Ohtli Award from the Mexican Consulate, the Cesar Chavez Education award from Utah Coalition of La Raza, the Charles E. Bennett Humanitarian and Civil Rights Award from the Utah Education Association, and an honor from the Chicana/o Scholarship Fund at the University of Utah.
Robert “Archie” Archuleta and Lois Lucille Hermann Archuleta were honored with a Key to the City in 2018 for their lifelong commitment to education, social justice, and community mentorship and their advocacy work in support of individuals experiencing homelessness, the LGBTQ community, and women.
On June 17, 2022, Mayor Erin Mendenhall honored the legacy of the Archuletas and their contributions to the Poplar Grove neighborhood and to Salt Lake City with the dedication of the Archie and Lois Archuleta Bridge.
