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
JESUS MARIA CREEK California Fair 1936 90 93
INDIAN CREEK California Fair 1936 90 277
BLANKET CREEK California Fair 1936 90 55
SR 123 (MACARTHUR BLVD) California Good 1936 90 24,350
TEMESCAL CREEK California Good 1936 90 288,000
STATE ROUTE 123 California Good 1936 90 3,000
SAN FRANCISCO BAY 3 STS California Fair 1936 90 200,000
YERBA BUENA ISLAND California Good 1936 90 248,000
JFK DRIVE California Good 1936 90 81,000
CALTRAIN & UP RR California Poor 1936 90 10,200
BEALE STREET California Fair 1936 90 20,000
EASTON CREEK California Fair 1936 90 300
SAN FRANCISQUITO CREEK California Fair 1936 90 18,700
CORRALITOS CREEK California Good 1936 90 7,000
SAN LORENZO RIVER California Good 1936 90 21,100
SAN LORENZO RIVER California Fair 1936 90 21,100
SCOTT CREEK California Fair 1936 90 500
LOS CORRALITOS CREEK California Fair 1936 90 500
BEAN CREEK California Fair 1936 90 14,270
EMBARCADERO ROAD California Fair 1936 90 22,000
GUADALUPE RIVER California Fair 1936 90 6,700
M.I.D. LATERAL #4 California Fair 1936 90 4,532
OUTSIDE CANAL California Fair 1936 90 7,475
OWENS CREEK California Fair 1936 90 380
ALAMO DRAIN California Good 1936 90 16,500
COARSEGOLD CREEK California Fair 1936 90 20,000
TRAVERS CREEK California Fair 1936 90 5,700
NORTH AVE & BNSF RY California Fair 1936 90 5,410
SELMA BRANCH C & K CANAL California Fair 1936 90 5,650
SANDRIDGE CANAL California Fair 1936 90 150
FOWLER SWITCH CANAL California Fair 1936 90 600
ENTERPRISE CANAL California Fair 1936 90 200
JOLON ROAD California Fair 1936 90 7,150
POPLAR DITCH California Good 1936 90 8,300
COTTONWOOD CREEK California Poor 1936 90 25
WEED CREEK California Fair 1936 90 7,400
BROAD CREEK California Fair 1936 90 9,700
LERDO CANAL California Fair 1936 90 90,000
FAMOSO CATTLEPASS California Good 1936 90 61,000
LERDO CANAL California Fair 1936 90 61,000
KERN ISLAND CANAL California Fair 1936 90 7,541
BRANCH COTA CREEK California Good 1936 90 9,000
SAN ANTONIO CREEK California Poor 1936 90 20,500
TODD BARRANCA California Good 1936 90 5,400
LA RIV SCRRA UPRR AMTRAK California Good 1936 90 91,500
BNSF RY California Good 1936 90 26,500
SAN GABRIEL RIV EF California Good 1936 90 2,020
VALLEY BLVD & UP RR California Good 1936 90 27,790
CENTINELA CREEK California Good 1936 90 30,500
FOX HILLS WASH California Good 1936 90 55,000

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.