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
ALTA EAST BRANCH CANAL California Fair 1940 86 350
JAMES BYPASS CANAL California Good 1940 86 125
DRY CREEK CANAL California Fair 1940 86 506
SAN JUAN CREEK California Good 1940 86 700
SAN JUAN CREEK California Fair 1940 86 500
ARROYO DOS PICACHOS California Fair 1940 86 1,200
ARROYO DOS PICACHOS California Fair 1940 86 500
ARROYO DE LOS VIBORAS California Fair 1940 86 1,500
BIG SUR RIVER California Fair 1940 86 4,050
SALINAS RIVER California Good 1940 86 210
CACHAGUA CREEK California Good 1940 86 720
SPRECKELS CANAL California Fair 1940 86 580
GABILAN CREEK California Fair 1940 86 630
N GABILAN CREEK California Fair 1940 86 630
VINEYARD CANYON CREEK California Fair 1940 86 210
MIDDLE BRANCH CROSS CRK California Fair 1940 86 2,268
W BR LEMOORE CANAL California Fair 1940 86 2,500
LEMOORE CANAL California Fair 1940 86 6,960
LEMOORE CANAL California Fair 1940 86 641
DRY CREEK California Fair 1940 86 75
BRUSH CREEK California Good 1940 86 850
NORTH BRANCH TULERIVER California Fair 1940 86 250
NORTH BRANCH TULE RIVER California Fair 1940 86 75
DEEP CREEK California Fair 1940 86 250
MILL CREEK California Fair 1940 86 7,500
WEST WALKER RIVER California Good 1940 86 3,050
OAK CREEK California Poor 1940 86 50
SAN LUIS OBISPO CREEK California Fair 1940 86 31,000
LAS TABLAS CREEK California Fair 1940 86 93
OLD CREEK California Poor 1940 86 249
OCEANO BEACH LAGOON California Fair 1940 86 100
SEE CANYON CREEK California Good 1940 86 6,830
SANTA MARGARITA CREEK California Poor 1940 86 271
RANCHITA CANYON CREEK California Good 1940 86 529
COTTONTAIL CREEK California Fair 1940 86 100
HUASNA RIVER California Poor 1940 86 401
SANTA MARGARITA CREEK California Fair 1940 86 228
WASP WASH California Fair 1940 86 1,400
EAST SIDE CANAL California Fair 1940 86 3,877
KERN ISLAND CANAL California Fair 1940 86 4,402
SAN YSIDRO CREEK California Fair 1940 86 2,110
PIRU CREEK California Fair 1940 86 30,000
SANTA PAULA CREEK California Fair 1940 86 4,500
NORTH FORK MATILIJA CRK California Fair 1940 86 50
SANTA MONICA STORM DRAIN California Good 1940 86 82,000
US 101 & RPS California Fair 1940 86 5,500
PENA CANYON California Good 1940 86 42,500
ST RTE 110 & ARROYO SECO California Good 1940 86 15,500
STATE ROUTE 110 California Good 1940 86 2,000
STATE ROUTE 110 California Fair 1940 86 17,000

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.