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
N FK SANTA YSABEL CREEK California Good 1935 91 447
CENTRAL MAIN CANAL California Fair 1935 91 300
W BRANCH FEATHER RIVER California Fair 1935 91 25
SOUTH ANTELOPE CREEK California Poor 1935 91 20
HALLS GULCH CREEK California Fair 1935 91 50
N.FK.AMERICAN RIVER California Fair 1935 91 50
DUTCH FLAT CREEK California Fair 1936 90 1,110
945 Wash Overchute California Good 1936 90 50
888 Wash Overchute California Good 1936 90 50
807 Wash Overchute California Fair 1936 90 50
All American Canal California Fair 1936 90 50
ELK RIVER California Fair 1936 90 518
ELK RIVER California Fair 1936 90 38
SULPHUR CREEK California Fair 1936 90 25,000
BOULDER CREEK California Good 1936 90 3,651
CLEAR CREEK California Fair 1936 90 50
BALDWIN CREEK California Fair 1936 90 232
STANDISH IRRIG. CANAL California Good 1936 90 2,975
RICE CREEK California Fair 1936 90 100
NORTH FORK FEATHER RIVER California Fair 1936 90 1,345
NORTH FORK FEATHER RIVER California Good 1936 90 1,345
NORTH FORK FEATHER RIVER California Fair 1936 90 1,345
GRIZZLY CREEK California Good 1936 90 1,345
SLATE CREEK OVERFLOW California Fair 1936 90 30
CENTRAL IRRIGATION CANAL California Fair 1936 90 63
WALKER CREEK California Good 1936 90 2,051
HAMBRIGHT CREEK California Good 1936 90 3,301
BIGGS EXTENSION CANAL California Fair 1936 90 749
RED BARN SLOUGH California Fair 1936 90 562
CHANNEL SLOUGH California Fair 1936 90 225
NO NAME DRAIN California Fair 1936 90 80
NORTH FORK YUBA RIVER California Fair 1936 90 100
PETROLEUM CREEK California Fair 1936 90 1,616
GOSSAGE CREEK California Good 1936 90 16,000
BELL CANYON CREEK California Good 1936 90 4,310
DUNNIGAN CREEK California Fair 1936 90 1,256
WINTERS CANAL California Fair 1936 90 123
ALAMO CREEK California Poor 1936 90 147,000
GREEN VALLEY CREEK California Fair 1936 90 672
UP RR YARD California Fair 1936 90 8,594
UP RR BNSF AMTRAK ETC California Fair 1936 90 4,995
STEELY FK COSUMNES RIVER California Poor 1936 90 2,080
NORTH FK COSUMNES RIVER California Fair 1936 90 240
ROCK CREEK California Fair 1936 90 224
NOVATO CREEK California Good 1936 90 6,711
CERRITO CREEK California Fair 1936 90 179,000
PINOLE CREEK California Fair 1936 90 14,000
WHITE SLOUGH (HONKER CUT California Fair 1936 90 958
S. FORK MOKELUMNE RIVER California Good 1936 90 750
ROCK CREEK OVERFLOW California Fair 1936 90 37

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.