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
NEW RIVER California Good 1940 86 300
ASH CANAL California Fair 1940 86 205
GREESON WASH California Poor 1940 86 100
NEW RIVER California Good 1940 86 500
WESTSIDE MAIN CANAL California Fair 1940 86 100
CENTRAL MAIN CANAL California Fair 1940 86 1,000
EAST HIGHLINE CANAL California Fair 1940 86 100
RESERVATION MAIN DRAIN California Fair 1940 86 51
CENTRAL DRAIN California Fair 1940 86 626
WESTSIDE MAIN CANAL California Fair 1940 86 80
GREESON WASH California Fair 1940 86 100
WESTSIDE MAIN CANAL California Fair 1940 86 300
WESTSIDE MAIN CANAL California Fair 1940 86 50
CENTRAL MAIN CANAL California Poor 1940 86 1,100
EL TORO CREEK California Good 1940 86 100
DALTON CANYON California Good 1940 86 10
DALTON CANYON California Good 1940 86 10
N.FORK RATTLESNAKE CREEK California Fair 1940 86 50
MCCLOUD RIVER California Fair 1940 86 50
CLARK FORK OF STANISLAUS California Good 1940 86 350
CHEROKEE CREEK California Fair 1940 86 50
UPPER CLEAR CREEK California Fair 1940 86 30
CRYSTAL CREEK California Fair 1940 86 50
BIG CREEK California Poor 1940 86 20
DRAINAGE CHANNEL California Fair 1940 86 3,000
SAN ANTONIO RIVER California Fair 1940 86 50
FORK DRIVE California Good 1940 86 10
Shasta Lake California Fair 1941 85 19,500
EEL RIVER & NWP RR California Fair 1941 85 2,150
EEL RIVER California Fair 1941 85 4,400
SACRAMENTO RIV OVRFLO #1 California Fair 1941 85 6,552
SACRAMENTO RIV OVRFLO #2 California Good 1941 85 6,472
SACRAMENTO RIV OVRFLO #4 California Fair 1941 85 6,472
PINE CREEK California Fair 1941 85 3,069
MILL CREEK California Fair 1941 85 50
TRAVIS SLOUGH California Fair 1941 85 150
GREENHORN CREEK California Fair 1941 85 3,425
INDIAN CREEK California Fair 1941 85 280
SCHOONER GULCH California Good 1941 85 2,900
COLUSA DRAIN California Fair 1941 85 44
CENTRAL IRRIGATION CANAL California Fair 1941 85 1,553
PRINCETON-CODORA CANAL California Fair 1941 85 166
MIDDLE HONCUT CREEK California Fair 1941 85 11,700
NORTH HONCUT CREEK California Fair 1941 85 11,700
CAMP CREEK California Poor 1941 85 20
SERENITY DITCH California Fair 1941 85 100
SOUTH HONCUT CREEK California Good 1941 85 9,700
AUBURN RAVINE California Fair 1941 85 110
RUSSIAN RIVER California Fair 1941 85 8,450
FRASIER CREEK California Fair 1941 85 250

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.