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 SAN ANTONIO CREEK California Fair 1945 81 20
CACHAGUA CREEK California Fair 1945 81 720
CACHAGUA CREEK California Fair 1945 81 200
WUTCHUMNA DITCH California Fair 1945 81 1,900
TULE RIVER California Good 1945 81 540
LAKELAND CANAL California Fair 1945 81 470
LAKELAND CANAL California Good 1945 81 200
PORTER SLOUGH California Good 1945 81 200
ELK BAYOU California Fair 1945 81 50
INSIDE CREEK California Fair 1945 81 950
COTTONWOOD CREEK California Good 1945 81 100
LITTLE DIXIE WASH California Fair 1945 81 1,200
AIRPORT WASH California Fair 1945 81 2,050
CARNEROS CREEK California Good 1945 81 65,000
SAN ANTONIO CREEK California Good 1945 81 2,300
PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY California Fair 1945 81 26,000
STORM DRN #130 California Good 1945 81 23,108
LAS FLORES CRK California Poor 1945 81 102
LYTLE CREEK CHANNEL California Good 1945 81 21,500
LYTLE CAJON CHANNEL California Good 1945 81 13,562
LYTLE CAJON CHANNEL California Good 1945 81 12,648
LYTLE CAJON CHANNEL California Fair 1945 81 6,000
COACHELLA CANAL WSTWY 1 California Good 1945 81 2,700
WASHINGTON STREET California Fair 1945 81 5,500
JIM GREEN CREEK California Good 1945 81 252
COUNTY RD & RR California Fair 1945 81 20
BELLOMA SLOUGH California Fair 1945 81 11
CUNNINHAM SLOUGH California Fair 1945 81 11
SLOUGH California Poor 1945 81
CONTRA COSTA CANAL California Fair 1945 81 75
OREGON DRAIN California Fair 1946 80 655
LONG VALLEY CREEK California Fair 1946 80 5,500
LONG VALLEY CREEK California Good 1946 80 5,500
TAYLORS WASH California Fair 1946 80 36,000
DOOLEY CREEK California Fair 1946 80 4,800
BLUE SLIDE GULCH California Fair 1946 80 830
GLENN-COLUSA CANAL California Fair 1946 80 72
KELSEY CREEK California Fair 1946 80 3,502
CORTINA CREEK OVERFLOW California Good 1946 80 33,000
NOBO DRAW California Good 1946 80 5,274
ABANDONED UP RR SPUR California Good 1946 80 41,750
SUTTER STREET California Good 1946 80 41,750
WALSH ST California Fair 1946 80 59,000
FRANZ CREEK California Poor 1946 80 350
BRANCH WINDSOR CREEK California Fair 1946 80 1,500
BRETONA CREEK California Fair 1946 80 1,460
GIBSON CANYON CREEK California Good 1946 80 61,500
SWEENEY CREEK California Good 1946 80 12,000
HORSE CREEK California Good 1946 80 61,500
HORSE CREEK California Fair 1946 80 16,750

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.