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
GILBERT CREEK California Fair 1947 79 670
SOUTH FORK PIT RIVER California Fair 1947 79 2,000
SALT CREEK California Good 1947 79 670
TULE CREEK California Fair 1947 79 670
NORTH FORK BATTLE CREEK California Fair 1947 79 120
BAILEY CREEK California Fair 1947 79 123
SALT CREEK OVERFLOW California Fair 1947 79 11,000
PAYNES CREEK SLOUGH California Fair 1947 79 19,500
SAMSON SLOUGH California Fair 1947 79 19,500
EAST SAND SLOUGH California Fair 1947 79 19,500
LIGHTS CRK (DEADFALL BR) California Fair 1947 79 345
NORTH FORK FEATHER RIVER California Fair 1947 79 960
HILLSIDE ABOVE RIVER California Fair 1947 79 95
ALDER CREEK California Good 1947 79 1,800
HARE CREEK California Good 1947 79 14,500
SHERWOOD CREEK California Fair 1947 79 139
DRAIN A California Fair 1947 79 6
DRAIN DITCH California Fair 1947 79 11
LINDO CHANNEL California Fair 1947 79 79
HIGH GRAVITY LATERAL California Fair 1947 79 274
ROBINSON CREEK California Fair 1947 79 5,700
SAINT HELENA CREEK California Good 1947 79 7,000
SAINT HELENA CREEK California Good 1947 79 8,300
STONE CORRAL CREEK California Good 1947 79 268
FEATHER RIVER K ST UP RR California Fair 1947 79 48,000
CACHE CREEK (STEVENS BR) California Fair 1947 79 377
DRY SLOUGH California Good 1947 79 121
ALAMO CREEK California Good 1947 79 1,764
STATE ROUTE 160 California Fair 1947 79 6,000
STATE ROUTE 51 California Fair 1947 79 40,000
STATE ROUTE 160 California Fair 1947 79 5,000
ARCADE CREEK California Good 1947 79 30,000
LAGUNA CREEK California Fair 1947 79 19,800
BEAR SLOUGH California Good 1947 79 1,785
SUITOR SLOUGH California Good 1947 79 1,821
LINDEN LANE California Good 1947 79 173,000
NOVATO CREEK California Good 1947 79 9,103
LAGUNITAS CREEK California Fair 1947 79 50
LAGUNITAS CREEK California Fair 1947 79 1
SAN JOAQUIN RIVER 03 California Fair 1947 79 37,500
PARADISE CUT California Fair 1947 79 143,000
CALAVERAS RIVER California Fair 1947 79 6,700
MOKELUMNE RIVER California Good 1947 79 2,972
DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL California Fair 1947 79 1,006
BANTA-CARBONA IRR CANAL California Good 1947 79 495
HOSPITAL CREEK California Fair 1947 79 400
HOSPITAL CREEK OVERFLOW California Fair 1947 79 390
SONORA CREEK California Good 1947 79 11,500
CURTIS CREEK California Good 1947 79 12,283
ALAMEDA CR UPRR BNSF ACE California Fair 1947 79 13,500

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.