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
DUCK SLOUGH California Poor 1938 88 360
MARIPOSA CREEK California Fair 1938 88 384
MILES CREEK California Fair 1938 88 384
MILES CREEK OVERFLOW California Poor 1938 88 270
FARMDALE SLOUGH California Fair 1938 88 270
NORTH FARMDALE SLOUGH California Fair 1938 88 270
SOUTH FORK KINGS RIVER California Fair 1938 88 730
FOWLER SWITCH CANAL California Fair 1938 88 4,200
HERNDON CANAL California Fair 1938 88 200
HERNDON CANAL California Fair 1938 88 200
HERNDON CANAL California Fair 1938 88 110
FOWLER SWITCH CANAL California Fair 1938 88 800
BIG CREEK California Good 1938 88 2,000
MURRAY CREEK California Good 1938 88 95
BEAR CREEK California Good 1938 88 200
SAND CREEK California Good 1938 88 275
WEST WALKER RIVER California Good 1938 88 83
QUIEN SABE CREEK California Fair 1938 88 1,433
PASO ROBLES CREEK California Poor 1938 88 151
NOJOQUI CREEK California Fair 1938 88 11,000
BIG SYCAMORE CREEK California Poor 1938 88 11,600
LOS ANGELES AQUEDUCT California Good 1938 88 5,500
EQUESTRIAN ACCESS California Good 1938 88 130,000
STATE ROUTE 110 California Good 1938 88 4,000
STATE ROUTE 110 California Good 1938 88 3,000
COMPTON CRK California Fair 1938 88 29,362
LACMTA AND SCRRA TRACK California Poor 1938 88 3,162
VERDUGO WASH California Good 1938 88 16,624
VERDUGO WASH California Good 1938 88 5,356
VERDUGO WASH California Good 1938 88 816
BALLONA CRK California Fair 1938 88 22,688
BALLONA CR California Fair 1938 88 7,421
BALLONA CRK California Fair 1938 88 34,545
COMPTON CRK California Poor 1938 88 29,520
COMPTON CRK California Fair 1938 88 36,146
ALHAMBRA WASH California Fair 1938 88 22,260
COMPTON CRK California Poor 1938 88 27,136
ARROYO SEQUIT California Good 1938 88 408
BALLONA CRK California Fair 1938 88 11,864
BALLONA CREEK California Fair 1938 88 30,000
HAINES CANYON CHANNEL California Fair 1938 88 497
LOS ANGELES RIVER California Good 1938 88 12,650
COMPTON CRK California Fair 1938 88 11,330
RUBIO WASH California Good 1938 88 4,080
SANTA CLARA RIV California Fair 1938 88 17,640
GROUT CREEK California Good 1938 88 2,300
OSO CREEK California Good 1938 88 5,800
PRAIRIE CREEK California Fair 1938 88 21,800
BOMPAS WASH CREEK California Good 1938 88 10,800
BORGO WASH CREEK California Good 1938 88 10,800

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.