Historic Bridges in California

4,414 bridges built before 1951 in California still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 4,414 bridges in California built before 1951 that remain in active service. These structures are 75+ years old — many predate modern engineering codes and were not designed for today's traffic volumes and vehicle weights. The average design life of a bridge is 50 years, making these aging structures a significant infrastructure concern.

Clear
Bridge State Condition Year Built Age (Years) ADT
ROARING CREEK California Good 1923 103 550
BROWNELL CREEK California Fair 1923 103 200
MCCLAY CREEK California Fair 1923 103 200
PARKER CREEK California Fair 1923 103 50
GERBER LEVEE CANAL California Fair 1923 103 350
WILLITS CREEK (MILL CRK) California Good 1923 103 7,200
STEER DITCH California Good 1923 103 9,800
MCCLATCHY SLOUGH California Fair 1923 103 381
GILSIZER SLOUGH California Fair 1923 103 200
AUBURN RAVINE California Fair 1923 103 12,500
ARROYO SECO California Fair 1923 103 19,000
ATASCADERO CREEK California Fair 1923 103 10,304
SOUTH FORK WILLOW SLOUGH California Good 1923 103 175
PUTAH CREEK California Fair 1923 103 789
SACRAMENTO RIVER California Fair 1923 103 2,150
SACRAMENTO RIVER California Fair 1923 103 1,550
NORTH FORK DRY CREEK California Poor 1923 103 1,237
N BR FRENCH CAMP SLOUGH California Fair 1923 103 4,300
UPPER PENITENCIA CREEK California Good 1923 103 3,993
T.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1923 103 1,940
T.I.D. LATERAL #2 California Fair 1923 103 5,200
M.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1923 103 2,597
M.I.D. LATERAL #6 California Fair 1923 103 10,981
CCID MAIN CANAL California Fair 1923 103 28,000
CCID MAIN CANAL California Fair 1923 103 1,800
CCID MAIN CANAL California Fair 1923 103 100
PACKWOOD CREEK California Fair 1923 103 52,000
COTTONWOOD CREEK California Fair 1923 103 250
EAST FORK KAWEAH RIVER California Fair 1923 103 25
TRAVER CANAL California Fair 1923 103 125
ARROYO GRANDE CREEK California Poor 1923 103 966
SAN LUIS OBISPO CREEK California Fair 1923 103 5,400
SANDY CREEK California Fair 1923 103 10,700
HILLSIDE California Good 1923 103 4,350
HILLSIDE California Good 1923 103 4,350
PACOIMA WASH California Fair 1923 103 19,441
NATURAL WATERWAY-NO NAME California Good 1923 103 260
UNNAMED CREEK California Good 1923 103 4,750
FERN DELL CREEK California Fair 1923 103 1,160
MIRANDA PINE CREEK California Fair 1923 103 50
PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY California Fair 1923 103
EAGLE CREEK California Fair 1924 102 610
HULING CREEK California Fair 1924 102 610
ROBBERS CREEK California Fair 1924 102 2,300
LASSEN CREEK California Fair 1924 102 600
BUTLER SLOUGH California Good 1924 102 9,300
NEW CREEK California Fair 1924 102 9,300
MILL RACE CREEK California Good 1924 102 9,300
SALT CREEK OVERFLOW California Good 1924 102 9,300
SALT CREEK California Fair 1924 102 11,000

About Historic Bridge Data

Bridges built before 1951 are classified as historic in this database. Many were designed to 1940s standards with lower load limits and narrower lanes. While FHWA requires regular inspections of all bridges regardless of age, older structures often require more frequent monitoring and rehabilitation investment.