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
C & K CANAL California Fair 1925 101 300
C & K CANAL California Fair 1925 101 2,300
KINGSBURG BRANCH CANAL California Fair 1925 101 300
LOS GATOS CREEK California Good 1925 101 400
DRY CREEK CANAL California Poor 1925 101 1,696
HERNDON CANAL California Fair 1925 101 200
HOUGHTON CANAL California Fair 1925 101 210
HOUGHTON CANAL California Poor 1925 101 500
ENTERPRISE CANAL California Fair 1925 101 600
GOULD CANAL California Fair 1925 101 200
GOULD CANAL California Good 1925 101 100
COLONY MAIN CANAL California Fair 1925 101 350
FRESNO CANAL California Fair 1925 101 250
STINSON CANAL California Fair 1925 101 50
FOWLER SWITCH CANAL California Fair 1925 101 300
STINSON CANAL California Fair 1925 101 200
HOUGHTON CANAL California Poor 1925 101 5,867
DRY CREEK CANAL California Fair 1925 101 1,200
NO NAME DITCH California Fair 1925 101 1,600
C & K CANAL California Poor 1925 101 1,434
C & K CANAL California Fair 1925 101 900
GOULD CANAL California Fair 1925 101 2,200
SMITH-FERRY CANAL California Fair 1925 101 300
TULARE IRRIG DIST CANAL California Fair 1925 101 975
BEACH CREEK California Fair 1925 101 339
WILLOW CREEK California Good 1925 101 1,044
SAN LUIS OBISPO CREEK California Good 1925 101 3,000
SYCAMORE CREEK California Fair 1925 101 4,700
COAL CREEK California Good 1925 101 43,250
ST RTE 110 & ARROYO SECO California Fair 1925 101 20,000
I 10 BUSWAY & METROLINK California Good 1925 101 5,000
GARDEN California Fair 1925 101 23,800
BNSF RY LA RIVER UP RR California Good 1925 101 27,728
PACOIMA WASH California Fair 1925 101 15,000
ARROYO BLVD / ARROYO S California Poor 1925 101 7,453
LOS ANGELES RIVER California Good 1925 101 46,978
EATON WASH California Good 1925 101 20,465
METROLINK & BUSWAY California Good 1925 101 19,272
LITTLE TUJUNGA WASH California Good 1925 101 8,150
BREA CREEK CHANNEL California Fair 1925 101 57,500
UNION PACIFIC RR California Good 1925 101 40,100
SAN GORGONIO WASH California Fair 1925 101 2
WHITEWATER RIVER California Good 1925 101 9,750
MTDB BNSF RY AMTRAK California Good 1925 101 20,713
SAN ONOFRE CR BEACH CLUB California Good 1925 101 8,800
YUMA MAIN CANAL California Poor 1925 101 6,500
NEW RIVER California Fair 1925 101 1,000
MCNUTT CREEK California Fair 1926 100 100
DOMINGO CREEK California Fair 1926 100 183
CHARLIE CREEK California Fair 1926 100 1,383

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.