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
SWEENEY CREEK California Fair 1946 80 81,500
SWEENEY CREEK California Good 1946 80 60,000
MC CUNE CREEK California Good 1946 80 81,500
MC CUNE CREEK California Good 1946 80 60,000
N160-DEL PASO OFF LRT California Good 1946 80 18,000
STATE ROUTE 160 California Good 1946 80 6,000
ARDEN WAY California Fair 1946 80 127,000
P G AND E CANAL California Fair 1946 80 12,700
REDWOOD CREEK California Fair 1946 80 2,090
LAS TRAMPAS CREEK California Fair 1946 80 625
ANGELS CREEK California Fair 1946 80 7,900
DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL California Fair 1946 80 289
KINGS SLOUGH OVERFLOW California Fair 1946 80 5,650
KINGS SLOUGH OVERFLOW California Fair 1946 80 5,650
MOWRY DRAW California Fair 1946 80 5,650
RABBIT DRAW California Fair 1946 80 5,650
OFFSET DRAW California Fair 1946 80 5,650
FRIANT-KERN CANAL California Fair 1946 80 1,800
CRESCENT DITCH California Fair 1946 80 850
FRIANT-KERN CANAL California Fair 1946 80 1,200
GRANT CANAL California Fair 1946 80 234
GRANT CANAL (E DITCH) California Fair 1946 80 200
PANOCHE CREEK California Good 1946 80 800
CARMEL RIVER California Fair 1946 80 1,100
PORTER SLOUGH California Good 1946 80 1,725
TRAVER DITCH California Fair 1946 80 175
CAMERON CREEK California Fair 1946 80 1,275
DEEP CREEK California Good 1946 80 75
CACHE CREEK California Fair 1946 80 20,000
SAN JOSE CREEK California Poor 1946 80 60,500
GLEN ANNIE CREEK California Good 1946 80 65,000
SYCAMORE CANYON CREEK California Fair 1946 80 6,000
SANTA PAULA CREEK California Good 1946 80 100
LAS LLAJAS CREEK California Good 1946 80 3,000
LOS ANGELES RIV California Fair 1946 80 35,638
LOS ANGELES RIV California Good 1946 80 25,758
INDIAN CYN CRK California Good 1946 80 1,204
MULBERRY CREEK California Good 1946 80 195,000
TRABUCO CREEK CHANNEL California Fair 1946 80 34,000
COACHELLA CANAL California Fair 1946 80 4,300
SAMAGATUMA CREEK California Good 1946 80 5,900
MATAGUAL CREEK California Good 1946 80 2,850
CANADA VERDE CREEK California Good 1946 80 1,700
SAN DIEGO RIVER California Good 1946 80 148,000
DESCANSO CREEK California Fair 1946 80 3,200
STATE ROUTE 163 California Fair 1946 80 3,040
UNNAMED CREEK California Poor 1946 80 50
KINGS RIVER California Poor 1946 80 115
N.FK. OF MID.FK.AMERICAN California Good 1946 80 50
NCTD RAILWAY California Fair 1947 79 10,675

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.