Royal Gorge Bridge reopening to vehicles on Friday

CANON CITY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Ask most guides in Colorado and they'll tell you this is essential travel: the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park is reopening to vehicle traffic on Friday after a closure because of coronavirus.

For $20 a car load, you can drive across the highest suspension bridge in America and take in the views without even having to make the trek on foot. The park is also requiring guests to purchase the tickets online to avoid person-to-person contact.

Driving across the bridge hasn't been a normal thing since 2013, but it was opened to vehicles because of the pandemic. Once pedestrians are allowed again, vehicles won't be allowed, so this is a limited opportunity.

Allowed on the bridge are passenger cars, motorcycles, SUVs and minivans holding 8 persons or less.

But if you're deathly afraid of heights more than disease, you'll probably be steering clear of the 955-foot-tall bridge over the Arkansas River.